


Glance From Afar

by Snow (Vixeria), Vixeria, Vixeria Snow (Vixeria), VixeriaS (Vixeria)



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Character Death, Child Murder, Controversial, Dark, Darkfic, Death, F/M, Mental Torture, Murder, Physical Torture, Rape, Sesskag - Freeform, Sex, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:01:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixeria/pseuds/Snow, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixeria/pseuds/Vixeria, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixeria/pseuds/Vixeria%20Snow, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixeria/pseuds/VixeriaS
Summary: Behind these rotting wooden walls and corroded and warped ceilings lay individuals who are tortured and tormented down to their very souls. Inescapable fates went unabashed, unhealable scars and wounds that ran so deep marred once beautifully creamy skin. Blemishes of the earth, nay- lower than the dirt they walked on and scorned for their association, they await an ultimatum, for an absolution that they all knew would one day come. It was all a matter of when.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome & InuYasha, Higurashi Kagome & Sesshoumaru, Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha/Sesshoumaru, Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 17
Kudos: 44





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a DARK fic. It will more than likely have controversial topics and extensive dark scenes. This is a challenging fic for me and written for personal reasons.  
> Please, if you are underage or too immature to handle dark themes and adult situations, please leave.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the fic, it's been a nightmare to write, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter. X3  
> Enjoy!
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of violence and rape but is necessary for the portrayal of the story.

The corridor was dismal and near-barren. Bare feet scuffling across uneven brick flooring and the struggled huffs of a person dragged by their hair could be heard reverberating across the broad expanse of the passage. Chained links rattled, occasionally clanking against and snagging on bricks below. Irritated and impatient grunts and mumblings of the _handler_ accompanied the otherwise silent halls. The cracks in the walls indicated a poorly crafted foundation of the structure they currently resided in. The wooden beams above were rotting, nearly collapsing from the pressure of sustaining the already-decrepit building.

She was hauled into a large room, and although her eyesight failed her for the most part, she knew where she was. She knew her appearance was haggard, putting it mildly. Her hair was thinned, barely enough to cover her scalp, and balding from her lack of nutrition. Her eyes were crusted, nearly glued shut with deeply darkened circles beneath each of her eyes. She knew her eyes were infected from the feeling of pus oozing from the corners of her eyelids, but she also knew there was no hope of ever receiving treatment. Her priestess attire was beyond dirty, stained from years upon years of uncleanliness. One sleeve and pant leg was still intact, whereas the other half was in a tattered state, nearly shredded. The sash used to hold everything together was worn and falling apart, barely able to remain tied. Her shoes were long gone, having been broken decades ago. Her socks looked more like torn leg warmers, stretched and unable to remain upon her calves. The pads and heels of her feet were scabbed and scraped from her constant dragging across the floor. Bruises covered her skin where it showed, a fresh array of them on her left leg. Her skin was pale- _deathly_ pale- and clearly sunken in areas that should be fleshy and pudgy.

She was thrown forward, nearly face-planting straight into the floor. Her arms and elbows scraped across brick, and she swallowed a hiss from the pain. Weakly, slowly, she pushed herself back into a kneeled sitting position. Her head was yanked back by her hair to force her face upward. She knew they were attempting to converse with her, but her mind wandered elsewhere. What little vision she had clouded over, and her ears tuned everything out, muffling all noises.

All of a sudden, all she could hear was the sound of her name being called by two beautiful and hyperactive children. All she could see were their faces as they looked up at her, full of hope, full of excitement. Their laughter was contagious—the scent of the potted flowers at the door permeating the entrance were all she could envision... all she could _grasp._

* * *

“Kagome, I can’t _wait_ to show you my room!” the little girl exclaimed, pulling on her wrist and attempting to tug her in some unknown direction, “It’s down _this_ hall!”

“Rin,” Sesshomaru admonished as they stepped up to the large double-doors that marked the front entrance of the palace. Stepping through the doorway, the first she took note of was of her shoes clicking against what she assumed was _marble.._. or at least something akin to it. Rin stopped tugging on her sleeve, embarrassed for being called out on her impatient behavior.

With eyes as wide as dinner plates, Kagome considered the sight of the massive, modestly decorated foyer. Upon entering, the visage of two large, arched staircases was near the foyer’s back and wrapped around to form a bridge up top. She could see four passages: one to either side of the entrance where they stood and one above and below the bridge in the back. There were two guards, one stationed at the foot of each staircase, who bowed in recognition of their lord’s return. Sesshomaru didn’t acknowledge them and instead escorted their small group through the corridor on their right, guiding them to their quarters.

There had been a rather considerable debate -and argument- about their next course of action. Naraku’s defeat had been a welcome relief as it meant they no longer had to traipse across the countryside just to hunt him down. Sango and Miroku returned to Muushin to deliver the positive news before heading to the Slayers’ dead village. Kohaku had decided to rediscover himself before rejoining with his sister- or tying up loose ends in Kagome’s opinion. She, herself, had opted to remain in Feudal Japan, for she had fallen in love with the scenery and non-toxic life of the village folk. Sesshomaru had left Rin in their care for a time while he, too, cleared up some loose ends on his side. And for a time, everything was peaceful. That is... until they discovered Kagome couldn’t age.

They assumed it was because of the well’s magic and perhaps the area of time recognizing that she was of the future. But when seven years flew by and her skin was near-flawless, villagers began suspecting her to be an apparition. Even worse, a sorceress and a witch. Conspiring with evil and other such nonsense. It was then when Sesshomaru had made an appearance, also taking note of the not-so-peaceful village he’d left his ward in, and came to the conclusion of providing sanctuary for his ward and his half-brother’s entourage.

So, they packed up their belongings and left.

Inuyasha hadn’t taken kindly to Sesshomaru’s _charity_ , as he less-than-graciously put it. He was sour about having to relocate and even more so that it was to his _brother_ ’ _s._ Though, for the record, he did stop complaining a little after half of the trip there. Still, he kept picking fights with his brother whenever possible, but on the bright side, they were no longer at each other’s throats. _Physically_ speaking.

The first room they happened upon was hers. Stepping past the large double doors had Kagome’s eyes nearly bulging from their sockets. She had been given far more than what she even thought was possible for a person of her standing. The room itself felt as if it were nearly two stories tall. The windows stretched tall and wide, touching the ceiling and extending from one side of the wall to the other. The golden drapes that adorned them were made of some type of sheer material that cast the entire room with their hue. A futon was placed in the room’s center with a post with similar colored drapes at each corner. The futon itself was rather large, its width possibly fitting up to ten people side by side. The sheets and bedding were a mix of white and red, with splashes of gold embroidery that caught the light along the hems. A large white rug, even more extensive than the bed but not as far as filling the room, was placed right beneath the futon. Walking further in, she turned around and set her sights on the immense mural that covered the entirety of the wall. The mural depicted the branches of a sakura tree, its branches reaching out and twisting and tangling across the expanse. A silhouette of two figures sat amongst its strong branches, enjoying whatever scenery lay beyond the tree. Sakura petals fell about the wall with splashes of red, white, and hints of gold.

She turned to Sesshomaru, and he knew that she was beyond pleased with the room. “We will retrieve you for dinner,” Sesshomaru said as Rin pouted, obviously wanting to show her around as soon as possible. Inuyasha, Rin, and Shippou followed after Sesshomaru, leaving her to rest.

She quickly discovered three doors that were hidden among the walls of the room. She never would have noticed the shoji sliding doors if she hadn’t have walked right up to the wall. At first glance, the entire wall looked seamless, painted to portray a flawless surface. The sliding doors led her directly to a man-made spring, which she quickly took the use of. She allowed herself to relax for nearly an hour before she finally decided to exit the room. Of course, she hadn’t thought to find clothing first, but luckily she quickly found a set of clothing spread out on the bed for her.

She would, perhaps, never forget the intricate design of the attire laid out for her. The nagajuban was near-solid white with an almost-transparent silvery-white swirled pattern. The datajime was a deep blue with golden swirls embroidered into it; it was very decorative and ornate. The kimono itself was a deep navy blue, embroidered with golden flowers, and matched the datajime beautifully. The obi was just as lavish and reminiscent of Sesshomaru’s sash that he wore around his armor, golden with blue waves at either end.

A knock at the door had her scurrying back behind the shoji doors of the spring. “Priestess-sama? Lord Sesshomaru has sent me to assist with your dressing,” a young woman’s voice called to her.

“Please, come in! Your help would be greatly welcomed,” she replied, knowing full well that she would never be able to put on the kimono by herself.

A woman, perhaps no older than herself, walked in. She wore a black and white kimono and hakama with Sesshomaru’s family crest embroidered on her left sleeve. She quickly stepped forward, grasping the nagajuban with a kind smile on her face. Kagome came out of her hiding place and allowed the woman to dress her. “Call me Kagome,” she said with a smile of her own.

“I mustn’t; you’re an esteemed guest of the lord,” she replied, “to do so is an insult to his lordship.”

“Then you can call me Kagome behind closed doors,” Kagome said with a nod, “I’m not really one for formalities.”

“Yes, Kagome-sama,” the lady said with a small bow, “my name is Yuki, and I am only here to serve and assist guests in the guest wing.”

“So then the children, Rin and Shippou, would be here in the guest wing as well?” She asked curiously, “And Inuyasha?”

“The young lady Rin resides in the family wing with Lord Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha will reside there as well, for he is blood,” she explained as she wrapped the datajime around Kagome’s waist. “The young kit will reside in the nursery with the other children who are not yet old enough to be left unattended.”

“The other children?” Kagome asked as they worked on the kimono next. “There are others here?”

“Well, of course, my lady,” Yuki replied, straightening Kagome’s sleeves. “The children for the esteemed guests usually remain in the nursery so that the adults may move about the palace freely,” she began working on Kagome’s obi once she had fixed Kagome’s collar a bit. “Currently, however, you and the young kit are the only ones who are guests in the palace.”

Kagome frowned almost immediately upon hearing this. “Yuki,” she said strictly.

“Yes, my lady?” Yuki replied quickly, picking up on Kagome’s tone.

“I want Shippou brought to my room immediately,” she replied, “from now on, he will stay with me in my room.”

“Oh, but you mustn’t, my lady,” Yuki said with a shake of her head, “it is poor-”

“I don’t care,” Kagome replied, “he is my adopted son; I want him close. He will stay with me while we are living here. If you could relocate his belongings to this room, I would greatly appreciate it. And perhaps, add a small writing table for him.”

“As you wish, Lady Kagome,” Yuki replied, bowing when she finished and exited the room. About ten minutes passed, and Kagome leaned back to lay across the edge of the futon. It was quite comfortable. It was soft to the touch and sturdy. She daresay it may have been better than her own bed back in the future! Soon enough, the door to her room was nearly thrown open, and she was greeted with the sight of her happy, excited son, bouncing into her arms.

“Kagome!” He exclaimed as he nuzzled into her shoulder, “They wouldn’t let me leave my room!”

“I know, Shippou,” she replied with a smile, “how would you like to stay with me from now on?”

“Can I, really?” Kagome nodded in affirmation before she set him down on the futon and took a look around. “Your room is huge,” Shippou commented, about as wide-eyed as herself. He took a closer look around, seeming unsure about where to look first.

“I was thinking the very same thing,” Kagome said, “you know, Shippou, I was just thinking about how much you’ve grown since you first joined Inuyasha and me.”

“We’ve gone through a lot of stuff,” Shippou said sadly, twiddling his thumbs with a far off look. “And I haven’t even had my growth spurt yet. Papa said that it won’t happen until my mentality reaches maturity.”

“You know something,” Kagome said, looking at him from the corner of her eye, “I think it’s right around the corner.”

“You think so?” He said excitedly.

Kagome placed a hand to pat down his hair a bit. “Mmhmm,” she replied as-a-matter-of-factly. “You’re a lot more mature than most your age.”

His smile stretched from cheek-to-cheek right before another knock at the door was heard. “Lady Kagome, Shippou-kun,” Yuki’s voice was heard, “dinner is ready, and I have placed the order for Shippou-kun’s personal items to be relocated.” Yuki paused and stepped to the side to allow another woman into the room. She was practically an exact replica of Yuki. “This is Yumi,” she introduced, “she is my twin sister, and she will be your escorts throughout the palace. She will guide you to the dining hall. By the time you are finished eating, your room will have been altered with accommodations for your son.”

“Thank you, Yuki,” she hesitated a moment before nodding her head at Yumi. “Nice to meet you, Yumi. You can call me Kagome as well, and this here is Shippou.” The woman, surprised, bowed her head in respect.

“My lady, that is most inappropriate..”

“It’s alright,” Kagome said, with a smile, repeating what she had told Yuki, “you can just call me Kagome behind closed doors.”

Kagome and Shippou shared a look before they both stood from the futon. She knew Shippou was surprised about being called her son... the two of them not yet having _that_ particular conversation. Shippou chose not to comment on anything for the time being. She was somewhat grateful because she didn’t want to presume anything. At the same time, she wondered what he thought about being called her son. Shippou hopped up to her shoulder, much to both Yumi _and_ Yuki’s disdain, before continuing on their way.

* * *

Wrenched sideways and forced to stand, she was once again dragged away and pulled from her happy memories. She stumbled as they passed several doorways, most likely taking her back the way they had come. She heard the man curse as his own foot stubbed against a particularly jutted out brick, and she had a small sense of satisfaction before she was yanked again. Their shuffling once again echoed down the hallway. There was, however, a new sound in the corridor this time... one that always made her skin _crawl_.

Kagome clenched her teeth in disgust as they passed a precariously left open doorway. The sounds of sex reached her ears as a woman cried out her false pleasure, a man grunting as he repeatedly raped her. The slapping noise of skin to skin resounded, bouncing from wall to wall— _sloppy_... _gushy_. No doubt the woman had allowed him to do so, but that was simply the way things were around here. You either give in, or not, the choice was yours, but if your decision was unfavorable...

It was times like this where she really wished she had just been left alone in her cell. The man, _her handler_ , never participated in these acts. It was a blessing but also a _reminder._ One that she knew if she _forgot_... She’d no doubt be quickly made a prime example for other prisoners here.

Kagome was tossed into her cell again. The smell of mold and human excrements wafted up through her nostrils. Her palms and knees scraped against the uneven floor once more, probably forcing the already-ripped wounds to bleed further. Her hands stung more than her knees, but that was to be expected. There was moisture collected on the floor of her cell, which would no doubt infect her wounds.

Her head hung as bile began to build in her throat; she couldn’t even breathe clean air as she attempted to reroute her gag reflex. She tried to forget the sounds that she’d heard in the hallway. It was always hard for her to drown everything out. Sometimes she succeeded... other times.... not so much. Sometimes the sounds echoed forever in her mind, never dissipating and continuously reminding her of her _place_.

Above all of her torment, however, there was a small comfort. She reached into an inner breast pocket on her left side, listening to the _handler_ ’ _s_ shoes as they echoed into her cell, slowly dissipating down the hall. Her thumb brushed the top of the woven strings of a yellow tassel, hidden close to her heart. Her heartbeat became uneven as she allowed tears to fall yet again. The tears instantly cooled on her cheek, streaking with dirt down to her chin. Her teeth clenched and unclenched in an attempt to calm herself further. She knew that if she sobbed, she’d probably catch unwanted attention. The people here were very temperamental, and she did _not_ want to be on the receiving end. As she calmed, relief began flooding her being, the tears subsiding.

The tassel... it was unquestionably a comfort. Of all the items Kagome could have had, the tassel was one that _survived,_ the only one that _remained_. It gave her the strength to continue forward. Peace in an otherwise chaotic environment. A lifeline she gripped and strove to keep hidden. It was representative of a time that _did_ exist, of a life that was _real_. It, too, was a reminder that she had a home outside of the dark, corroding walls of her prison.

If this tassel were confiscated... she would break.


	2. Bitter Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a less-than-welcoming dinner, Kagome get's to know Rin's caretakers a little bit in the garden before retiring for the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No major warnings for this chapter.  
> Slight depiction of sex at the end.

Having foregone breakfast  _ and _ lunch in favor of getting home earlier, they had all decided to eat an early dinner. Though their dinner was  _ far _ from a comfortable affair, the efforts made on their part didn't go unnoticed.

Dinner, however, had been a  _ mess _ . For starters, she hadn't been made aware of the fact that they would have  _ company _ at the dinner table.  _ Nothing _ could have prepared her for Sesshomaru's  _ mother _ , of all people. The entire dinner had felt like a battle of wits; those with the sharper tongue would come out on top.

The older female was entitled, as was, perhaps, her right. It  _ didn't,  _ however, give her the right to be rude to  _ guests _ . It quickly became fact that she disapproved of every detail, big and small, no matter the subject. The woman's demeanor was offensive and not at all gracious or humbling, and her manners were clearly lacking when it came to her disapproval.

The first comment was of their presence at the dinner table. "Sesshomaru, darling, must you insist on conceding your  _ pets _ at the dinner table? It is  _ most _ unbecoming." It really shouldn't have been a surprise that Kagome would run into those who didn't think highly of their quaint little group. What was surprising was to come across an individual of  _ the lady's  _ stature admonishing the Lord of the West. Of course, at that particular moment in time, she had no idea who she even was. What was even more astonishing was the fact that this woman meant  _ everything _ she said. As if she was  _ actually  _ sincere. "Darling, you become more like your father every day."

That seemed to irk him, and as everyone watched the display between the two of them, lavish dinner plates were set before each person. It was almost as if they were being waited on in a fancy restaurant in the modern era. Sesshomaru said nothing to reprimand the woman for her speech, so Kagome assumed the woman was just on a higher pedestal than even Sesshomaru.

"And you, Miko," she admonished, "where do you hail from?"

"Nihon," was her immediate response, "though, more specifically, I was born in a place called Tokyo, far from here."

The woman seemed to regard her for a moment, "You have gone through training then?" She openly assumed Kagome's history- almost as if analyzing her to determine whether she was even worth her time.

"Not...  _ exactly _ ," Kagome replied, a bit uncomfortable at the subject. "I was mostly self-taught before given the responsibility of the jewel."

"The  _ Shikkon _ Miko?" The woman inquired, visibly upset and turning to address Sesshomaru once more. "You brought  ** her ** _ here? _ "

"For the record," Kagome said, garnering her attention again, "Inuyasha was against us coming here as well. Though, I'm beginning to understand  _ why _ ." She knew her comment was directly suggesting the woman. She had no idea if her retaliation would get her in trouble, but she supposed she could deal with that later when and if it came.

Food was situated in the very center of the table. It was a magnificent display of meats, fruits, and vegetables, all placed together in a beautiful array across the table. They set what looked to be a mix of raw and cooked foods to accommodate the different  _ species _ at the table.

"Ah yes, the  _ half breed, _ " she commented. "Why are you even  _ here?" _ She frowned at him, and Kagome watched as he flinched and flattened his ears atop his head. He glared down at his still-empty plate to avoid the woman's gaze, crossing his arms in mock defiance. "It's bad enough that my son brought home a  _ stray  _ from a common village, but now he's bringing home  _ bastards _ and  _ other _ creatures home, too."

Rin seemed somewhat oblivious to the woman's talk. She simply picked up her chopsticks and began placing an assortment of different fruits on her plate. Shippou followed Rin's example, choosing instead to grab some raw meat from the center. He very clearly couldn't reach, so Kagome grabbed a set of chopsticks as well, reaching over to cut him a slice and deposited it right on his plate. It cheered him up almost immediately, and he dug right in without so much as a word.

Kagome stole a glance at Inuyasha and realized he was looking everywhere else except at everything in front of him. It occurred to her then that he, perhaps, he had known who the woman was because of the simple fact that he had yet to retaliate against her. She, herself, had chosen to keep her mouth shut in favor of remaining as respectful as possible. It wasn't her house, after all. She was merely a guest.

Of course, that was immediately thrown right out the door when the woman directed her verbal assault at her son.

"And  _ you _ ," the woman said, addressing Shippou with disdain, "another  _ abandoned _ pup, I presume?"

Shippou froze in place when his eyes met hers. He visibly shook, scared of the woman. Kagome, having taken notice of this, immediately placed a hand on his small back. She rubbed small, comforting circles on his back, and the gesture seemed to calm him and relax his features. His parents' topic was still a sore subject for the little kit and hadn't gone unnoticed by multiple members of their small, quaint group. It quickly became a topic that no one breeched, not even she as his surrogate mother. Though, she supposed it was probably another conversation that she should have with her adopted son.

"Shippou lost his parents a few years ago," Kagome quipped, her voice gentle but firm. She said nothing else on the matter and waited for Shippou to resume eating before she grabbed a portion for her own plate.

She noticed Inuyasha and Sesshomaru hadn't reached for anything to eat at all and had chosen to only drink their refreshments. However, the woman across from her and the children had decided to also grab her own portion for herself. Though, the woman opted for selecting a little bit of everything from the spread.

"I think Inuyasha has every right to be here as well," Kagome also quipped, referring to her earlier question of Inuyasha. She knew she shouldn't meddle, but what the woman had said earlier bothered her. She was itching to put in her two cents. Besides, she didn't see Inuyasha sticking up for himself to this woman.

"You speak of that which you do not know," the woman said, her eyes narrowing on her. Kagome looked directly into the woman's eyes, refusing to back down. She could see Inuyasha and Sesshomaru looking, exchanging glances from each other to her and the woman as well from the corner of her eyes. Neither tried to stop her nor even comment on anything, so she took it as a sign to proceed. Besides, she was well past, being polite at this point.

"On the contrary," Kagome said, "I've heard enough. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha share a father. That,  _ alone, _ should warrant his presence in the palace." Her manner of speech surprised herself. She briefly wondered if she had simply spent too much time with Sesshomaru, enough to have picked up on some of his use of vocabulary. That, or at some point during their trip, she had matured- if only somewhat.

"Their  _ father _ is  _ exactly _ why the half-breed has been deemed an outcast," the woman replied.

"Their  _ father _ ," __ Kagome retorted, "also granted you a full-blooded demon, didn't he? It isn't Inuyasha's fault he was  _ born _ , so I think  _ some _ people need to get over it." She very clearly  _ knew _ that she was dancing in unfamiliar territory - and that she was reasonably rude while doing so. But something about the woman fueled her ire, making her want to point out her faults. "Besides, it's not  _ Inuyasha's _ problem. It was your  _ husband's. _ "

"The half-breed needn't have ever been born," the woman said smugly.

"You can't control matters of the heart," Kagome responded, just as smugly. "Your  _ husband _ , I'm sure, is the perfect example. And again, that is not neither Inuyasha's fault  _ nor _ his problem."

"Ha!" The woman responded, throwing her head back, clearly amused, but she said nothing more on the matter.

It was clear to her that woman  _ really _ didn't like her, Inuyasha,  _ or _ Shippou. She wondered if she even liked  _ Rin _ . Though, judging by the way Rin brushed off her comments, it would seem that the little girl was used to it all. She wondered how long Rin had put up with this woman's childish banter and if it had ever affected her. She briefed a glance at Sesshomaru, and she recognized his annoyance. She wondered if it was directed at her, his mother, or possibly both of them.

When dinner had concluded, she decided they needed a break. "Oh, that's right," Kagome commented, pausing midway to their rooms. "Rin, didn't you say you had a garden?" Her mind briefly recalled her mentioning something about a garden while during their travels.

The little girl's face lit immediately. She quickly grabbed both Kagome's and Shippou's hands to make them walk a bit faster. She vaguely registered that Yumi was trailing quietly behind them, ushering them to Rin's supposed garden. Once again, they were upon a large set of doors that led to the outside. Both Kagome and Shippou followed after a very eager Rin as she burst through the doors and onto a stone path. There were flowers of all sorts  _ everywhere.  _ They lined the stone path and covered the expanse from every direction. Rin led them in a zigzagging pattern and directly to the heart of the garden, where a gazebo stood sturdy and covered in vines. It reminded Kagome of a winter wonderland by how much snow blanketed everything in the area. She briefly recalled a conversation with Rin where the little girl explained her "magic flowers" being protected from the harshness of the cold. It was about all she had spoken about while on the trip "back home."

She took a seat on one of the stone benches beneath the gazebo's hood and watched as Rin gathered several flowers in her hands. She brought several mounds of them up to the stone benches with Shippou helping her haul a few of them himself.

"Kagome, do you know how to make a flower crown?" She asked on her final trip back, a big smile on her face.

"No, I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of learning," she said just as enthusiastically as she. "Would you teach me?"

"Absolutely!" The girl replied as she hopped up on the bench. "You start with a couple of flowers, and you start twisting their stems, like this." Kagome watched as Rin began weaving the stems together before reach for another and twisting them in. She caught on fairly quickly with the pattern, and soon enough, the two of them had made their first flower crowns together. Shippou rapidly grew bored and started teasing Rin about being slow at making flower crowns- then being slow at  _ everything _ . This, of course, fired up the little girl, and soon enough, the two began throwing flowers at each other before chasing each other all over and into the snow beyond the gazebo. While the children played, she picked up another flower and began weaving a bracelet using the method Rin had showed her for the crowns. Then she noticed Yumi to the side, giving everyone space.

"So," Kagome said, addressing Yumi, "Sesshomaru's mother certainly is...  _ bold _ ."

Yumi looked over at Kagome, curious. "The Lady Kimi has always been as such. They say she became that way after her mate's affair."

"They? You mean you didn't witness it first-hand?" Kagome asked, pausing in her weaving.

"My lady," Yumi said, amusement in her voice, "I am human."

She honestly hadn't been aware of the girl's race. "How did you come to work in a  _ demon's palace? _ " Kagome asked and then realized how rude her question was. She looked apologetically to the young woman but urged her to respond.

"My sister and I are orphans," she said, "the young Lady Rin required human servants for the palace had nothing but demons. Aside from Lady Rin, myself, and Yuki, there are no other humans here in the palace."

Kagome seemed to contemplate this for a little while. "How long have you been working for Sesshomaru?"

"Lord Sesshomaru obtained us four years ago," Kagome jumped and turned around, noticing Yuki on the other side of her. "My apologies, My Lady, I didn't mean to startle you. I came to inform you that all of the preparations for you and your son have been completed."

"Thank you very much, Yuki," Kagome said with gratitude. "I'm certain my son appreciates it just as much as I do."

The three stayed where they were, allowing Rin's and Shippou's playful banter to fill their silence. After a time, Kagome finally spoke, "What were the two of you doing before you were employed?"

"We were daughters of a merchant and a pirate," that seemed to surprise Kagome. She didn't think pirates were really a thing. Go figure. Yumi continued, "Our parents, having died when we were young, we took over our mother's property. She owned a silk shop and had taught us to sew fabrics and how to obtain rarer materials. We took up merchants' position, but our profession was dwindling because of rivalry from other merchants.

"Lord Sesshomaru happened upon us one miserable day and employed us, and we have been here ever since," Yumi stopped her explanation when one of the children cried out, having fallen in a small mound of snow.

After determining the kids okay, Kagome commented once more, "I'm glad the two of you are here to help watch over Rin. Without you, she honestly wouldn't have any human connections here." It was then that Kagome realized why Sesshomaru had left Rin in her care for so long. He was searching for a solution for Rin.

Taking note of the setting sun, Kagome stood and stretched. The kids noticed and brushed themselves off, each taking one of Kagome's hands. The twins escorted the trio back inside the warm palace for the evening. When all had reached their destinations, they said their goodbyes and turned in for the night.

* * *

They were at it.  _ Again.  _ She could  _ never _ have a night of  _ peace. _

The woman from down the hall echoed. Her voice moaned and bounced from wall to wall, skin slapping skin reverberated across her cell bars and rang in her ears. A man's voice grunted and groaned, joining hers in pleasure. She could hear shoes clicking against the bricks of the floor, growing ever nearer to her the entrance of her cell.

A woman stopped in front of her cell, but Kagome gave her no reaction. The woman held a metal tray in her hand. She let it clatter on the floor; the noise made her jump as it revealed the food offered to her outside of the cell. Molding bread rolled from the tray and across the dirty floor outside of her  _ prison _ . The cup of water that had been on the tray had tipped over, half spilled across the floor, and the other half pooling within the tray. The woman smirked as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the floor.

Kagome finally acknowledged her. She raised her head to look the woman in the eye and, as if in slow motion, her face distorted with recognition. It took her a moment to collect herself before rushing to the edge of her cell. Her body made a dull clang as she slammed herself into the walls of her prison, and she disregarded the ache her actions had caused. She slipped a hand past the metal bars in an attempt to reach the woman, anger fueling her actions. Her hands swung wildly in her futile effort. Her face was practically smashed into the bars that held her just out of the woman's reach. "You  _ bitch _ ," she spat out angrily, unreservedly. Her ire built, her helplessness consumed her being, and it was all she could do to continue her desperate act. She wanted nothing more than to wring the woman's neck- to feel her life slip away with her own hands wrapped around her neck as she thrashed and begged for her life.

The woman's smirk widened, mocking her, disregarding her. She uncrossed her arms and let them fall to her sides. She made no attempt to speak to her at all. She blatantly dismissed Kagome's  _ fit,  _ and instead, she turned away and walked down the hall. Kagome screeched behind her, unleashing her wrath upon the bars and pulling them with all of her might. She had even gone so far as to place her feet up on the metal, having her entire body suspended as she yanked on them. Of course, they didn't budge. Of course, they would be unable to yield to her desire. It made her feel as though she were a child - grounded as she released her temper. She continued her yelling for some time, letting obscenities fly from her mouth and echo down the hall.

When she relented, spent and voice hoarse from overuse, she reached through the bars at her feet to grab hold of the moldy bread and tray. Her fingertips could barely hook onto the edge of it, and she carefully dragged it into her cell. She took a look at her bread, frowning as her raw emotions consumed her again. She squeezed it in her hands... the bread was no longer soft like it should have been. She dusted it off as best she could and took a bite. She didn't want to risk spilling her precious water, so she dipped her head down and drank as if she were an animal.

Somewhere down the hall, a woman's cries of pleasure escalated, shortly followed by a silence that seemed to penetrate her very  _ soul _ .


	3. Creeping Vines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sesshomaru and Kagome share a private moment in his personal garden.

She was staring out at the stars tonight. She had just gotten Shippou to fall asleep for the night and was now trying to fall asleep herself. She was propped up on the pillows next to her little fox, running her fingers through his bangs. It was a calming gesture for both of them. Though, she had hoped it would put herself to sleep as much as it did Shippou. And now, she found her gaze passing over the large windows, left cracked open to allow the frigid breeze to seep into the room.

The two of them enjoyed the cold air. It was crisp and refreshing, and it reminded both Shippou and Kagome of the outdoors. They had come to find the wilderness as a home, albeit a large one. The scent of the outside world was simply another calming effect on them, though even more so for Shippou.

It was only when the curtains shifted that she knew she needed to get up and close the windows. The breeze was picking up outside, and she certainly didn't need either of them to catch their deaths. She stopped fiddling with Shippou's hair and scooted herself across the expanse of the bed before pushing herself to her feet. A quick assessing glance at Shippou had her confirming that he was still sleeping soundly. She crept over to the windows and closed them; a soft  _ click _ affirmed that the windows were secure once more.

Kagome shuffled quietly over to her backpack, which she'd left next to a tall vanity mirror in a corner. She caught a glimpse of herself and decided to straighten her flowery-pink pajamas before rummaging through the oversized bag. When she returned to the modern era for a visit with her mother, she would need to tell her about choosing a color  _ other _ than pink. She had so many pink items, it was close to  _ stifling. _

She found her  _ pink _ tumbler -grimacing at yet another pink item she possessed- and popped it open for a sip of her water, only to discover it was empty. She was parched, and she didn't exactly have an escort at the moment. Getting to the kitchens by herself wouldn't be an easy feat. She couldn't very well use the bathwater from the manmade springs- something about that seemed  _ unclean  _ and  _ unsanitary.  _ Not to mention it was  _ warm _ water and __ her desire for  _ cool _ water sort of outweighed that fact. Perhaps she could just... wait till morning? She cleared her throat as quietly as she could, glancing once more at Shippou. His hearing was as sensitive as Inuyasha's. He seemed to murmur in his sleep and rolled over to snuggle further into the comforter.  _ Nope _ . She needed that water.

Decision made, she let out a soft sigh and straightened herself up before she made her way over to the door of their room. Her feet padded softly against the tatami mats as she tiptoed over to her discarded slippers next to the door. She checked Shippou one more time before slipping past the door and out into the hallway. She set her slippers down on the marble flooring and stepped into them carefully- she  _ really _ didn't want to accidentally wake up Shippou and struggle to get him to sleep all over again.

It was eerie... the hallway. If this were a movie, this hallway was  _ precisely _ the kind of scene it needed to make an atmospheric horror film. The quiet was a tad unsettling, and it was dark enough where she needed her flashlight. She was far from confident that she'd make it all the way to the kitchens for a drink of water but also knew she didn't want to disturb Shippou by having a coughing fit all night long. So, reserved, she shuffled forward.

She chose the direction Yumi had taken her and the kids. She  _ knew _ for a fact that the kitchens were  _ this _ way. However, after coming upon a fork in the hallway, she was left to choose which direction it was in. You would think that a  _ division _ in the hallway was a telling sign of which direction to head in, but they all looked like exact replicas of each other! She silently wished she hadn't gotten so caught up in conversation with the kids- perhaps she might've easily been able to make her way otherwise. She also silently cursed whoever designed the hallways to look like a maze in the first place.

But she continued on.

She bit her lip as she walked further along the corridor.  _ Nothing _ looked familiar, and  _ everything _ looked the _ same! _ It was a dizzying labyrinth that seemed never-ending. She had to touch the wall at some point because there were no windows in this hallway. She distinctly remembered a hallway with no windows... but did she need to take that path or one  _ with _ windows? For the life of her, she couldn't remember. She looked at each direction with a critical eye, but each hall faded into a much darker space.

With a deep breath to steady her heart, she picked her path and walked forward. Her hand slid across the wall before it came in contact with something soft. She really couldn't see much, just a few darker shadows within the darkness. She tried to discern exactly what she was looking at, but it was futile. She spread both of her hands outward, and she  _ thought _ it felt familiar. She just couldn't  _ place _ it.

"As much as I appreciate your perusal of my features," a deep, amused tone reached her ears, "I am fairly certain you do not want to reach any further down."

She jumped, snatching her hands back to herself, and her face reddening with embarrassment. She was utterly flustered-  _ she had just  _ **_ felt up _ ** _ Sesshomaru _ **_. Of all people.  _ ** With her eyes wide and her hands trembling, "I-I am  _ so _ sorry!" She apologized, bowing. "I can't really see too well, and I was just trying to feel the wall, a-and..."

"You are in the wrong corridor," he commented, and she suddenly felt her hand in his. "Come, I will guide you to your destination."

"I am heading to the kitchens," she informed, "I  _ thought _ I was heading in the right direction."

"You needed to take the path on the left at the fork," he advised, gently tugging her ahead. Her head swam with thoughts of embarrassment as she allowed him to guide her.

They walked in silence for a few moments; the only sounds echoing through the halls were of his boots clicking and her slippers sliding across the floor and occasionally slapping the back of her heel. Of course, she, with her uncomfortable self, decided she needed to speak... if only to break the ice. "I kinda wanted to explore," she confessed bashfully. "I haven't really had the chance to truly have a look around. You know... without being nannied by the maids or without the children."

"It is inconsequential," he replied, "I have my doubts that you would have been able to traverse the west wing without being seized by the guards, however."

"Was that where I was headed?" She asked curiously.

"Indeed," he said. Though Kagome couldn't see him too well, she could just barely make out his silhouette in the darkness. When they finally came upon the fork again, the moon's light filtered in from the massive windows to illuminate his features. His eyes practically glowed in the darkness now that she could see his face.

"How come guests aren't allowed in the west wing?" She asked, wondering if he'd give her the same answer the twins had.

"It is the family wing," he responded, "for you to have entered the west wing would signify that I fancy your presence in my chambers."

Kagome blushed, and a soft "Oh" was the only response she could give him. Her embarrassment for the night was undoubtedly climbing, and she wondered briefly if he could tell.

Finally reaching the kitchens, Sesshomaru crossed through them, guiding them outside and to the water well beyond the doors. She quickly filled her tumbler, being as swift as she could manage, and closed the lid before taking a sip. She offered him a gentle smile in appreciation for his help.

"I had Shippou relocated to my room," Kagome said offhandedly, "I didn't like that he was by himself in the nursery..."

"I expect no less," he said, "I have done the same for Rin."

Kagome stood to full height, her smile never faltering. "Thank you for escorting me. I'm pretty sure I'd still be fumbling around in the dark had I not run into you."

"Would you care to visit my private gardens?" He asked, and she couldn't help but think it was so...  _ out of character _ .

"I thought you said I'd be seen as a concubine if I entered the west wing?" She asked teasingly. Though she hardly cared what others thought of her, she wasn't about to start now. 

"I am the Lord of this palace," he said, confidence flowing through his tone, "I care not what others think. I should think you similar."

"Your assumption would be correct," Kagome said with a smirk, attempting to sound 'smart.' "Such a scandalous  _ affair _ would hardly be of any consequence to either of us." Her tone came out more flirty than she had initially intended it to, but she had gotten this far, and she wasn't going back.

With a raise of his eyebrow, he outstretched his arm, and she grasped it, consciously aware of their proximity to one another. She was beginning to think that her blushing might actually become a permanent feature on her face.

Several winding hallways later, the pair finally exited the palace into the gardens. It wasn't unlike Rin's, but it was undoubtedly much more organized and well-cared for. The garden's entirety had a more sleek look, smoother and less of a maze than what Rin's garden looked like. The stone path they followed had been cleared of snow, and everything was still in full bloom- much like Rin's. However, Rin's garden only had colorful wildflowers; this one had a wide variety of flora.

He led her to a fountain where she could sit on its lip to rest for a moment or two. He sat with her, and the two gazed up at the stars. "I guess I should consider myself lucky," she commented, "to have been personally invited to Lord Sesshomaru's  _ personal _ gardens." There was a twinkle in her eyes as she said it, giving him a pointed glance. "Your garden is lovely."

"It was Mother's," he said with a sigh, "a gift from Father and began with the white roses." He nodded his head in a direction past her field of view. She turned her head to look and saw a line of rose bushes that ran along the palace wall.

"Gorgeous," she said, and he stood at that moment.

He walked over to the bushes, and with a flick of his wrist, cut one of the precious, delicate bulbs. Kagome gasped -at first from the horror of cutting the roses- but then out of pure wonder. She watched as two more bulbs grew in place of the bulb that used to be there. It was like watching a time-lapse video of a plant's growth. With wide eyes, she watched as Sesshomaru brought the bulb over to her. "These rose bushes' true name is called 'Creeping Vines,'" he explained, "in the old days, they would use these vines to help stall enemies. The bulbs and vines that were cut would grow in double the amount, and the more rapidly they were cut, the more they grew. The vines would produce twice as thick. Planting them ensured they would grow tall and wide." He fastened the bow in her hair, his touch lingering a moment as she stared up at him curiously. "Their bulbs have many rich qualities as well. Their petals can be brewed into a calming tea or crushed into a paste to help absolve impurities from wounds. The bulbs themselves never die because they are imbued with youki."

It was true. It was very minuscule, but Kagome could feel the youki emanating from the bulb in her hair. It fascinated her. She reached up to touch it delicately with her fingers and quickly realized the bulb wasn't entirely smooth like she initially assumed. Its petals were incredibly soft, but each petal also had hardened ridges, giving each a razor-sharp look.

With a smile, she looked at Sesshomaru, astonished at such a wonderful gift. "Thank you," she said, her cheeks pinkening yet again.

"The white rose also symbolizes purity," he commented, "I feel it suits you."

"Purity, huh?" She asked, "Is that a reference to me in general or the fact that I'm a priestess?" She raised an eyebrow of her own, pure curiosity at what he would say. She raised her tumbler to her lips for a casual sip of her water.

"Both," he commented, "I smell your purity and your power."

Kagome nearly choked on her water, briefly wondering if he referred to innocence or the fact she was a virgin. "You can  _ actually _ smell  _ power?" _

"It radiates from your skin," he said, "a spicy scent such as hot pepper, but sweet... similar to the flower in your hair."

"Wow," she said, "I knew youkai had powerful noses, but I didn't think..." She shook her head.

"It is a trait that inu have in general," he said simply as he sat next to her once more. "Other species, such as bird or bear, do not have the same sense. It is why the inu are in administration currently."

The two of them sat in comfortable silence. It was, perhaps, the first time in a long while the two had been alone together. The last time Kagome could recall was when they were all hunting down Naraku, and even then, it was far from comforting. She idly wondered when their relationship had begun to change. Had it been during the time she had cared for Rin? Or was it before then? After?

She thumbed at her tumbler as she lost herself to her thoughts. "You needn't worry about your purity," Sesshomaru said, pulling her attention to him. "Even without the innate ability, any and all can feel the power emitting off your skin."

"Oh," Kagome said with a shake of her head, "I wasn't worried. I was just thinking about how much things have changed since Naraku's defeat."

He seemed to ponder this as well- apparently, he didn't give it much thought before.

"Indeed," he finally responded, "the events that followed after Naraku's demise were tedious and not wholly unexpected."

Kagome gave him a curious look, "What did you do after? I mean after we beat Naraku."

"As you know, I left Rin in your care," he said with a nod of his head, "afterward, I came here to the palace. There were matters of state I had long neglected while traversing the countryside. I also dealt with the palace council. I had them removed to ensure Rin's safety."

"How many members are on the council?"

"Twelve," he responded, almost flippantly. "Hence the tedious events."

" _ Twelve? _ " She asked incredulously, "you kicked twelve people out of their home?"

He looked her in the eye, "They ate human for breakfast. Goes well with the red sauce from across the seas and boiled vegetables."

She gulped for a moment as she thought about this fact. "You.... you've eaten human?"

"Taste like veal," he responded as if it were inconsequential. "Not one of my preferred meals." He flashed a fang at her, and her mouth dropped open.

"You're teasing me!" She said with a laugh as she nudged his arm with her hand.

He finally offered her a hand to stand. "Come, allow me to escort you to your chamber."

She offered him a dazzling smile, placing her hand in his. And again, she was led through the winding hallways back to her room.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru," she said when they finally reached her door. "I had a wonderful adventure." There was a twinkle in both of their eyes as she cracked her door open to make sure Shippou hadn't woken while she was gone.

"The pleasure was mine," he said with a slight bow. He released Kagome's hand and allowed her to slip past her door. The door closed behind her with a soft click.

* * *

She could remember how warm and large his hand felt beneath hers. She remembered leaning up against the door and willing her heartbeat to calm itself. She recalled several moments of deep breaths as she gathered herself enough to lay in bed with her little fox kit.

A tear slipped past her eyelid as she rolled onto her back. She was both happy  _ and _ relieved. There was total silence this night- not a peep. No screaming nor sexual releases into the darkness: no mourning individuals or sobbing beggers. There weren't even any clicks of shoes echoing up and down the passages.

This was dangerous, however...

It left her with her thoughts. Her mind consumed her, forced her to remember. Forced her to recollect every face, every moment... It reminded her of better days long past. It also reminded her of her failures... of her regrets. It gave her too much time to reflect, and that reflection tortured her. Flashes of her friend's faces flickered behind her tightly closed eyelids. She wouldn't sob, not again. And she wouldn't allow herself any more than a few tears. She refused.

She curled herself tightly into a fetal position. What she wouldn't give to feel the warm, caring embrace of her mother. Of her darling adopted son. Hell, she'd take Naraku at this point. Rolling onto her side again, she let out a soft snicker at herself as another angry tear cascaded itself sideways and over her nose.

She idly wondered if anyone was out looking for her. If anyone would ever come for her. She couldn't tell how long it had been. It had to have been months. Perhaps a few years? She didn't know anymore. She lost count after just a first few  _ days _ . So much had happened, and everything had begun blending together. She could barely discern day from night anymore.

She reached inside of her clothing and fingered the yellowed tassel she kept close to her heart.

"Are you thinking of me?" She whispered, and her voice was swallowed by the silence.


	4. Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Shippou are tasked with responsibility while Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshomaru go to the market.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:  
> I've been battling COVID for the past two weeks. (What a way to spend the holidays, right?) So I will be posting twice this week for a late Christmas/New Year's gift to you all.  
> Hope you're still with me, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!

No one had come to her in three days. Not a single morsel of food had been consumed during that time. She raised her kimono up a bit to get a good look at herself and grimaced at what she saw.

Her belly had sunken in, and her ribs were protruding- not that it had been a surprise. Her hand caught her eye, and she found that a nail had come loose when she had slept. Some blood coagulated at the tip of her finger, some of it dripping slowly to the floor. She ran her other hand through her hair but was further dismayed upon noticing her hair falling out. She then touched her lips- they were throbbing with pain. They were cracked, and she had no doubt they were busted.

She wanted to die. For someone to put her out of her misery. She wanted to be beaten so far she never woke. She yearned to be slain in the most brutal way possible just so she may rest in peace once and for all. She craved many things at that moment, and she also knew salvation was far from her grasp. She hoped she _died_ of malnutrition, for at least then, she wouldn't have to suffer repeatedly when they come to bring her back from the brink of death. But then..she would never see her friends and family again... 

She leaned back against the metallic pipes of her cage. She wondered - not for the first time - if she should have paid more attention to the meditation techniques Kaede had once tried to teach her. Sighing, she tilted her head back and reflected on a past that felt as though it were but a dream.

* * *

Her eyes lit up with excitement as she walked through the door to Sesshomaru's study. She had just overheard the most exciting news since moving to the palace, and, try as she might, holding in her giddiness was a near-impossible feat for her.

"We're going to host a festival?" She asked, bubbling with enthusiasm.

Inuyasha huffed in the corner with his arms crossed and his ears pressed firmly to his scalp. Sesshomaru stared at her, as blank-faced as ever, upon her entry.

It wasn't like she had meant to just walk in on their conversation. She hadn't even meant to overhear it; she just so happened to be coming up on the door when she heard about the festival. Though whatever else they had been talking about had eluded her.

The room was lowly lit. Kagome took the time to glance about, allowing herself to absorb the room's mood in general. She could see stacks of scrolls in the corner of the room, another pile atop his desk, and she could only guess that there were probably more _behind_ the desk. She was only a tad bit annoyed at the mess strewn about the room. She noticed large cushions to the left and right of the entry, with Inuyasha occupying one to her left. Candles in the room had their shadows dancing along the bookshelves -or were they scroll shelves?- that lined the left and right sides of the room. Large drapes covered what she had assumed to be large windows. She could tell that the walls were a deep, forestry green color, with browns to help complement the room.

"We are going to the market first to make a public appearance," Sesshomaru finally informed. "We leave this afternoon."

"Why a public appearance?" Kagome asked, honestly curious.

"Inuyasha has been an expatriated prince in the western providence for some time," Sesshomaru said as he stood from his own cushion. "The publicity will ensure all those who see will spread word that he has been accepted once more as an heir to the west. Should he ever venture about, all will know and will not accost him. It will also signify our alliance with the Miko of the Shikkon."

Inuyasha huffed again, "It ain't like it's _that_ important. Couldn't this have just waited till later?"

"It is necessary to get the political unpleasantries out of the way," he said, placing scrolls back in their proper cubbies.

"I'm going to go ahead and guess that the kids are going to have to stay home today," she couldn't fathom leaving the children behind, but if it were necessary, she wasn't going to dispute it. Besides, a day away from the kids might do her good. It sort of felt like she hadn't really had any adults to converse with since first moving in. Sure, there were the nannies -Yumi and Yuki- but they only responded to questions she asked directly. The rest of the time, they held their tongue and quietly remained in the shadows. In the beginning, it was a bit nerve-wracking because she always felt watched. Now that she was used to the silent stares, she felt as if it were almost second nature to have eyes on her.

"Okay," Kagome finally responded after some thought. "Let me get changed and say my goodbyes to the kids."

And with that, she turned on her heel back to her room. She's had some time to get used to the layout of the palace. She's managed to even memorize the paths to the kitchens, Rin's garden, her room, and the kids' playroom so far. She was, however, still a far cry from being able to navigate unsupervised. So it didn't come as a surprise to find Yumi waiting just at the end of the hall for Kagome to finish her business.

It hadn't been more than a few moments after Kagome had dressed in her priestess attire when two very excited children came bursting into the room holding a rather large white rabbit with massive floppy ears. "Oh my goodness, how cute!" She exclaimed as she reached over to pet the sizeable fluffy animal.

"Yuki and Yumi gave it to us to play with!" Kagome smiled and leaned down to their level.

"How perfect!" Kagome said as she placed a hand on each of their shoulders, "But remember, taking care of another animal is a big responsibility. You have to give it food and water and a lot of exercises. Can you two take care of the bunny?" She asked with a critical eye.

"Yes, ma'am!" Rin said excitedly, "I won't let anything happen to Chii!"

"That's what we named her!" Shippou said excitedly, before deflating for a second, "Do you like it?"

"I think it's a fantastic name," Kagome said with a big smile, cheering him up immediately. "But remember, a rabbit is not a toy, okay? Bunnies need their nap times, too, so they can get much stronger and bigger."

Rin immediately snuggled the rabbit with a sparkle in her eyes before bounding toward the door, pausing briefly to wait for Shippou.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Shippou asked, curious.

"Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and I need to go to the market for a bit," Kagome said, patting his head, "think you can take care of Rin while we're gone?"

Shippou pouted as he reached up to wrap his small arms around her calf. "Do you have to? I was hoping you would come to the garden and play with us," he said a bit broken-heartedly.

"You know as well as I do that it's hard to tell the western lord _no_ ," she said with a giggle. "You are more than welcome to escort me to the front of the palace and see me off."

"Can I?" he said as he puffed out his chest.

"Of course!" She said with a smile as she stood to full height. Kagome picked up her longbow and quiver of arrows before following the two children out into the hallway. When they reached the front gates, she said her goodbyes once more before adjusting her weapons and standing next to Inuyasha's side. She watched as Rin and Sesshomaru said their own goodbyes before turning to them. He didn't even have to signal anyone to open the large gates; he simply started walking. Both she and Inuyasha walked side by side behind him, and the trio made their way down the dirt path, the gates screeching to a close behind them.

The trek to the market had been a quiet but comfortable one. The three had reached the outskirts of the market with record time and had managed to turn the first few heads in their direction. For the most part, people stared as shopkeepers were just beginning to hand over their wares to buyers. It had been, perhaps, just a mere hour or two that the market had been available. Walking further in, however, even Kagome had begun to hear the whispers. Judging by his stiff posture, she could tell it bothered Inuyasha to listen to what they had to say. He never let his guard down, however, and stood tall and proud. Kagome chanced a peek up at the demon lord's face as well, but he was just as impassive as ever. The three of them had come to walk side by side with her in the middle. For a moment, she looked down at the narrow road at her feet. She considered herself a moment before looking up once again, proudly and stiffly, deciding it didn't matter what was said.

There was a jingling sound that caught her attention from one of the market stalls. For a moment, she faltered and let the two men walk a bit further up ahead. She staggered behind a bit before making a direct beeline between people to the stall. She smiled to herself as she took in the merchandise.

"Would you like one, miss?" Asked the shopkeeper.

"Two, actually," she said with a grin, "those two yellow ones, right there."

She pointed at a couple of strings tied loosely together as she reached for a small satchel at her side. Thanks to Miroku, she had learned how to pick up on saving money in the Feudal Era, so she had a bit she could actually spare. The shopkeeper reached over to his strung up work and loosened the ties. Two tassels quickly came loose and were inspected before being handed over to her. Kagome checked them herself before handing over a gold piece for appreciation and took long strides to catch up to the two men who seemed inclined to leave her in the dust.

"What were you doing?" Inuyasha practically demanded when she returned to his side. "You could've gotten lost. I wouldn't have been able to find you; there are too many scents here."

"I was getting these," Kagome said, holding up two intricate tassels, knowing very well he could easily find her despite the _handicap_. They were delicately woven with red beads in the center of them with long ends.

"What for?" He asked, looking at them curiously. "They're just strings."

"Well," she said, eyeing the lord as well, "across the large water to the east, there is a tradition they do." She began tying one of the tassels around the hilt of his sword. "People make these for the men who go off for battle. They tie them onto their weapon or on their armor for good luck. Some do it so their souls will be able to find their way home should they get lost." She smiled as she brushed the ends of the threads and let them dangle from his hilt. Inuyasha eyed them for a second before crossing his arms and moving on.

Kagome turned to Sesshomaru and tied the other one onto the hilt of Tenseiga before he had a chance to protest. Smiling as if it were her own handiwork, she turned, gesturing for the three of them to move on. Without any qualms, the three made their round through the market for another two hours.

It was, perhaps, an hour before sundown when they had decided to head back. Just as the sun had begun to set, the three were met with two very overwhelmed children. Reddened faces, sniffling noses, and teary eyes immediately had all three on alert. "What happened?" Sesshomaru immediately demanded as the two maids rushed forward, bowing.

"My lord, hyenas had been waiting in the garden and ate the rabbit we had gifted them early this morning," Yuki said quickly.

"Was anyone hurt?" Kagome asked, looking over Shippou for any wounds of any sort.

"No, Priestess," Yumi said, not lifting her head.

"Our sincerest apologies," Yuki said, "we hadn't meant-"

"See that it does not happen again," Sesshomaru said before he addressed his guard, "rotate the guard and station two at the far east wall."

"Yes, my lord," said one of his guards before bowing and running to do just that.

Sesshomaru lifted Rin into his arm and cradled her against him. Kagome did much the same, and all of them headed inside for the evening. "Ssssh, it's alright, Shippou."

She rubbed soothing circles as she headed to her room. She could only assume that the others did the same. She knew they'd be called on for dinner reasonably soon, but she wanted to get a little bit of privacy for her and the small fox kit. His hiccups were getting worse by the second it broke her heart to hear them. "But," he coughed out, "you said it was my responsibility. A-And it died."

Kagome patted his head in comfort as she lay them back against her pillows in their room. She had managed to discard her weapons at the door without jostling them two of them too much. "Shippou, that wasn't your fault in the least. It wasn't anyone's fault. Shippou, sometimes these things happen, but no one can be blamed for them."

"But I couldn't even protect Rin," he cried as he clutched her top. "And the hyenas were so scary."

It took her some time to calm him down, and when he did, he fell fast asleep in her arms. She managed to maneuver him beneath the blankets without waking him. She even slipped out of bed without so much as a peep. She wanted to see how Rin was fairing.

Quickly, she put on her slippers and walked to her door. She peered out into the empty hallway before stepping out and closing the door quietly behind her. She looked around and spotted Yuki at the end of the hall, gazing out one of the large windows. "Yuki," Kagome called and immediately brought the woman out of her reverie.

"Yes, Priestess?" She asked as she bowed.

"Will you send dinner to my room when Shippou wakes up?" She asked as she stepped forward, "We will be eating by ourselves tonight."

"Yes, Priestess," she said with another bow.

"Where are Sesshomaru and Rin?" She asked, apparent concern written all over her face.

"The Lord has taken his ward to her quarters so she may rest properly, as you have, Priestess," she said in response.

"Very well," Kagome said as she came to stand next to her. "What happened today?"

"As I stated earlier, Priestess," Yuki said with her head still bowed, "a couple of hyenas were lying in wait in Lady Rin's garden. They had been hidden by the snow."

"That is not what I am asking, and you know it," Kagome said with a frown.

"Priestess," the woman faltered a moment, "Kagome, Rin, and I had been at the gazebo while Shippou and Yumi were on the garden path. Rin had allowed the rabbit to run loose while she made more flower jewelry. When she had gone to look for it, she had found it dead in the hyenas' jaws. Rin screamed, and both Yumi and I went running toward her. I believe Shippou was behind us. It all happened so fast, I am so sorry the children had seen such a sight."

Kagome regarded the woman a moment before she crossed her arms. "Why weren't you with Rin at her side?" Kagome asked.

"I didn't think I had to," Yuki said casually, "I merely thought she was grabbing the rabbit and coming directly back."

"Yuki," Kagome said with a stern tone, "you can _not_ turn your back on children. At all. This incident could have been easily avoided. Because of your mistake, we could have lost a child." She really wanted Yuki to be aware of her grave mistake and the severity of her actions. They really could have come back home to a much worse fate than the one they'd had today. She was thankful that the children weren't harmed, but the rabbit undoubtedly left a dent in their psyche.

Suddenly, she could hear Shippou crying out for her, and she immediately turned tail straight to the crying kit. "Bring the dinner for the two of us, and bring me a report on how Rin is doing. I want to make sure she is fine."

"Yes, Priestess," the woman bowed and left immediately.

Kagome went back into her given room, immediately going to Shippou's side to comfort him. He'd woken because of a nightmare, no doubt a result from the mess he'd probably seen earlier that day. It took her some time to quiet him down before dinner was brought in for the evening. They ate in bed, and Kagome distracted him as best she could.

That night, she was woken consistently from Shippou's cries. He wasn't used to seeing death very often. She'd made sure to shield his eyes from most of it unless absolutely necessary. She had worried about him back then when he had officially obtained his father's pelt. The little guy had been just about broken for a week straight before finally being able to let go and move forward. She worried what the rabbit would do to him, especially after having given them such a speech that morning.

Few words were spoken to each other during dinner. Kagome understood that there was probably some time needed for Shippou to move forward. She just hoped that his attachment to the rabbit hadn't been too headstrong. She could only imagine how Rin was doing with all of this. Rin was, after all, the one to have come across the gruesome sight.

Once again, quieting Shippou into a peaceful slumber, she drifted off and hoped for a better day.


	5. Conciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome talks with Rin to bring her out of her funk and then learns of events that had started occurring about a year ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geezus, you guys, I didn't even realize I hadn't posted the follow-up chapter! Please enjoy! There will be another chapter posted tomorrow!

A loud bang reverberated down the hall and across the iron bars of her cell. She jumped, startled awake. A woman's scream echoed, sharp and continuous, for several moments. Then there was silence.

Kagome huddled herself up in the corner of her cell, farthest away from the entrance. She covered her ears, hoping to silence the voices she could hear that haunted her mind. She supposed going mad with hunger was a way to go as well. She whispered to herself of denial, of betrayal. She muttered false assurances in an attempt to make herself feel better, even if it was all for naught. She uttered nonsense that was entirely reasonable in her disorderly mind.

She ran both hands across her scalp, tugging at her already-thinned hair to bring herself back to reality. The effort was lost, however, for  _ she _ was lost. Misplaced. She didn't belong here, and she knew it.

But what else could she do but to sit on the floor and wait for her death?

* * *

"She will not eat," he stated as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "She does not even wish to leave her room. I would have thought..." His voice trailed off as the worry for the little girl seeped further into his nerves.

Kagome bit her lip in apprehension. It didn't bode well for Rin if she kept this up. She was hesitant to ask if she could see her considering it was improper for anyone aside from the family to be allowed in that wing. "I could... I could look in on her if you'd like," she said, twiddling her thumbs. "I mean, I'm no expert, but I can see what I can do."

"You may," he said as he leaned back in his chair. "Rin barely speaks to anyone these days."

"Well, let's see what I can do for her," Kagome replied as she stood. The two of them exchanged a look before she nodded her head, giving him a hopeful smile. "Don't worry, we'll snap her out of this soon enough."

She left and immediately sought out Yumi to escort her to the West Wing. If anything, she figured that having an escort would be seen better than just waltzing over there by herself. If anything, people would think she was up to no good if she did that.

As they were walking, she caught the tail-end of a conversation by two maids. "Oh, honey, I  _ know, _ " one of them said as the two were coming up around the corner. Their voices echoed fairly loudly down the hall, even if they were trying to speak in hushed tones. "I met the human Lord once, and he was a crass man. But you know what? I say he got what he deserved."

"Yes, but his daughter didn't deserve such a fate," another woman's voice joined in just as they turned the corner. "I hear the lady was fair and just and didn't inherit any of that man's qualities." Three women were standing in the hall, but it seemed that one was relatively silent, letting the other two talk as they wont to do. The three bowed in respect as Yumi and Kagome passed by quietly. When the two turned down another corridor, the whispers were ignited again.

"That's  _ her _ , the priestess that was seen with the Lord that one night," one of the girls said.

"Ooooo, I heard she dared to grace his lord's private chambers," one of the other two said.

" _ Really? _ I heard they traipsed around in the Lord's personal garden, with her in her  _ nightgown," _ another whispered.

Of course, at that point, Kagome stopped listening. They had come to Rin's door. Giving herself a mental pep talk, she knocked on the door, sturdy and loud, and then entered the room. Rin's room was massive, probably even more so than her own. It was decorated similarly to hers as well, just without the large mural and decked out fabulously in pinks and oranges. She saw the little girl hugging a stuffed animal near the window sill, staring out onto her own personal balcony.

"Yumi," she said to the woman behind her. Rin turned immediately upon hearing Kagome's voice, surprise etched clearly across her features.

"Yes, M'Lady?" she replied.

"Will you mind terribly if I asked you to bring us some warm tea and honey? And perhaps some biscuits," Kagome said as she walked further into the room, not bothering to look at her.

"Yes, M'Lady, they will be delivered shortly," she said with a bow and left the room.

"You seem surprised to see me," Kagome commented when the door had shut behind Yumi's exit.

Rin watched as Kagome took a seat next to her. Rin had a window seat, one of those window sills that stretched wide with cushions thrown over them for an extensive reading nook. "I was expecting Lord Sesshomaru to send one of the maids again..." she said after a short pause.

Kagome watched her from the corner of her eye. Rin hugged her knees with a stuffed rabbit between her frame and knees and sat further into her propped cushion, attempting to comfort herself. "You want him here himself, don't you?" She asked with a smile. Rin nodded as she locked her eyes on something outside of her window. "Sometimes boys don't understand what a girl wants," Kagome said, placing a hand on her knee, "that's why we have to tell them straight forward." Kagome paused for a few moments. "That isn't all there is, though, is it?"

Rin bit her lip in contemplation, as though trying to decide whether or not to tell her. "The rabbit was all my fault. Yuki and Yumi gave it to us as an early birthday present, and all I had to do was take care of it." Her eyes watered, and her bottom lip began to tremble. Her body became tense as she attempted to hold herself in check. "I couldn't even take care of a rabbit right and-and now look what's happened! The rabbit should never have died, I should have taken her back inside, I should've watched her better."

Kagome watched as the little girl came undone and cried into her knees. For a moment, she tried to think of the words to say, but really, what  _ could _ you say in these types of situations? "Rin," Kagome said, reaching over to pull the little girl into her arms, "the rabbit's death is no one's fault. It was the rabbit's time to go."

"It wouldn't have been if I was just more  _ careful _ ," Rin sniffed, rubbing her nose.

"The truth is," Kagome said, rubbing small circles into her back, "you could spend hours, even days, thinking about the 'what-ifs' and the 'what-could-have-been's,' but the fact of the matter is that it happened, and there is no going back. You realized your mistake, and that was good." Kagome lifted the girl's chin up as she began hiccuping, "What's important now is if you learned from that mistake."

"It-it won't ever happen again! I promise! I'll pay more attention from now on," she cried.

"And that's good enough for me," Kagome said. "You want to know what the scariest thing was for both Lord Sesshomaru and me?"

"What?" she sniffled as she wiped at her face.

"It was the fact of knowing that both you and Shippou had come very close to danger, and we weren't here to protect you," Kagome said, "that is  _ our _ mistake- for not protecting you better. Can you ever forgive us?"

"I forgive you," Rin said, wiping the last few tears away from her eyes. "I'm sorry we messed up our responsibility."

"I forgive you, both of you," Kagome said, and Rin twisted herself into a hug. Kagome knew that she had to change tactics for the little girl. She had explained to Shippou that it wasn't his fault the rabbit was dead, and she knew with Rin it would be harder to convince. With Rin being older than Shippou, Kagome knew she wouldn't just take the 'it's not your fault' deal. She could only imagine how much this had been weighing on her mind, as well.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Yumi entered with a tray of tea and biscuits. "Perfect timing," Kagome said, "want to give the biscuits a go? They're fresh and absolutely delicious."

Kagome reached for a biscuit as the tray was set down in front of them, and Rin reached for one, in turn, sniffing. Yumi bowed and left the room to allow the girls to eat in peace. Rin ended up eating three large biscuits, and Kagome was glad for it.

"You wanna go see Lord Sesshomaru after this?" She asked in between bites.

"If that's okay," Rin said with a nod, finishing off her last bite. "I kind of just want to stay here for a little while."

"That is perfectly fine," Kagome said with a smile as she finished her second biscuit, "just remember, everybody misses you at the dining table."

After the tea and biscuits, Kagome gave Rin one last squeeze and decided to be on her way. She bid her goodbye and allowed Yumi to escort her straight back to Sesshomaru's study. However, he was no longer there. Instead, she went back to her room and was greeted with a brand new priestess kimono. "What's this for?"

"The Lords and Lady from the other estates should be arriving shortly," Yuki said, holding up the kimono. The kimono was embroidered with the house's famous sakura blossoms on the left shoulder. "As a highly esteemed - _ permanent- _ guest of the Lord, you should be dressed your best to greet the other guests at the front entrance of the palace."

So with that, she was dressed.

It didn't take long for the horns to announce the arrival of the first lord. Kouga, being from the East as well as the  _ fastest _ among the three, arrived first. Kagome had been surprised but pleased to see Kouga there, and he in turn.

"What're  _ you _ doing here?" Kouga asked as he shot straight forward and lifted her in a twirl. Kagome laughed as she hugged him back, much to the chagrin of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. The brothers had also joined her out front to greet the guests, and it suddenly made sense why Inuyasha was so sour a few days prior.

"Well," Kagome said as he set her back on her feet, "I live here now."

"Couldn't you have found a closer place to settle?" Kouga said responded with a scratch at the back of his head, "I mean, getting here is no problem, but my woman shouldn't have to live so far away from the pack. If you needed a place to go..."

"Kouga," Kagome laughed, "it was sort of a last-minute decision. Besides, I don't think any of the wolves would've been able to handle me." She jokingly laughed, elbowing him in his side.

Kouga laughed at the joke, put his hands on his hips to greet Sesshomaru at last. "For a festival that's suppose to start tomorrow evening, it sure is dead around here."

"I assure you," Sesshomaru said, "those who reside within the palace have it all taken care of."

For some reason, it was nice to hear that Sesshomaru didn't refer to them as 'servants.' It was a term that Kagome never liked to use either. There was something just so...  _ demeaning _ about the word.

Lady Sachiko arrived shortly after the pleasantries with Kouga, though she wasn't anything that Kagome had been expecting. "Welcome to our home, Lady Sachiko." The woman was a phoenix, dressed head to toe in burning red, orange, and yellow feathers. She had a boa that reminded her of Sesshomaru's  _ mokomoko _ but was made of feathers rather than fur. The most surprising thing about her, though...

"Oh, it is an absolute  _ pleasure _ , darling!"

....was the fact that her voice was that of a  _ man's. _

Kagome blinked, a smile spreading wide across her face at the crossdresser. Gay or not, this person would probably become one of her friends. She had no doubt about it. She watched as Sachiko greeted the others with fervor, idly wondering if  _ Sachiko _ was even his given name. Sesshomaru was clearly uncomfortable with his affections toward him, but she made no comment about it. Both Sachiko and Kouga were escorted into the palace, and it was another thirty or so minutes that Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and herself stood out. Just when she was growing bored, and about to ask when the third would arrive, a dragon touched down just outside the gate. Loud winds blew past the entrance, threatening to knock her from her feet had it not been for Sesshomaru's careful arm keeping her in place. Her hair was utterly frazzled when the winds died down and sticking up in random places behind her.

Ryu was intense. He had a sharp face with black hair and blue eyes. He didn't seem to like to smile at all and reminded Kagome of Sesshomaru. A lot. His hair was long, much like Sesshomaru's, but braided and hung over his shoulder. Kagome bowed in respect, attempting to speak to greet him, only for him to walk right past her and greet Sesshomaru. The two of them gripped each other's forearms in greeting but didn't say anything further before being escorted inside.

Kagome, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha all exchanged a look with each other before making their own way inside. Behind them, the gate screeched to a close.

After some time, Kagome was escorted back to her room for the night and fell asleep rather quickly with Shippou tucked into her side. She figured she had been pretty tired anyway, what with such an active day. For some reason, the days she spent here in the palace always seemed more eventful than those she used to spend with Inuyasha in Kaede's village. Who would've thought?

The following morning was  _ busy _ . The entire palace felt as if it were  _ vibrating _ with energy. All of the palace folk were running to and fro. So much so, both Kagome and Shippou were left alone without their nannies. Which, of course, gave them  _ ideas _ of what to do with their day. They would not act on those...  _ ideas _ , but it certainly felt nice not to have an escort for once. She still felt like it she and Shippou were being babied, perhaps not quite as much as when they first moved in, but certainly enough for them to notice.

With nothing to do, Kagome and Shippou made their way to the kitchen. The dining hall seemed to be even busier than everything happening outside. Food was laid out, but not a soul was eating. "I see my son has yet to release the animals that run around in our home."

"Don't you have a palace of your  _ own? _ " Kagome asked as she took a seat, the Lady following right behind her. "Sesshomaru once told me of the floating palace his mother owns."

Shippou took the seat next to Kagome, as was proper. Shortly after they piled food on their plates, Rin made an appearance. Without an escort. "I waited for a long time," Rin said, "but no one came to my room, so I just came on my own." She took a seat next to Shippou, giving everyone a big smile of her own.

"And so the human population increases," the Lady drolled, rolling her eyes and taking a bite.

"My Lady! I haven't seen you in days!" Rin said with barely contained excitement as she walked up to her side and took a seat.

The Lady made no comments as she began shoveling food onto a plate and set it in front of Rin. Kagome was surprised she did  _ that _ much for the little girl. With as much  _ malice _ as the woman portrayed for humans in general, you would think she'd ignore them entirely. The fact that the gesture caught Kagome's eye made her believe there was more to the woman than previously assumed.

"My Lady, will you go with me to the gardens? You haven't taken a walk with me in a very long time," Rin said as she took small bites off her plate.

Before the Lady could even answer, Shippou spoke up, "Mama, is it okay if I go with Rin and the Lady?"

Kagome eyeballed her son before looking across the table at the woman. "I don't see why not, but that's not up to me to decide. You have to ask the Lady."

"May I join you?" Shippou asked, hopeful.

The woman eyed the children, their eyes wide with hope. The woman sighed, setting her chopsticks down on the table. "I suppose a stroll through the gardens is a reasonable request."

The rest of breakfast went by without a hitch, and, soon enough, Kagome was left in the dining hall by herself. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, she decided to wander the halls on her own, when she remembered that there was a  _ library. _ There would be scrolls or books in there that would catch her interest, right? And even if there weren't, she could always relax near the massive windows in peace.

As she approached the library doors, however, she could hear voices discussing something in quiet tones. She could barely make out what they were saying and decided to press her ear up to the door to eavesdrop out of curiosity.

"There have been demons of high ruling disappearing all of the countryside, and you desire to  _ wait?"  _ She could hear the distress in Sachiko's voice.

"The festival is taking place over a few days," Sesshomaru's smooth baritone reached her ears. Her brows furrowed. Was it possible that the festival was just a cover-up to allow the lords a secret meeting? "The festival itself has already underway."

"Lord and Lady Duval have already turned up missing just on the outskirts of your territory," Sachiko rebutted, "by the time the festival ends, it may be too late."

"And you would have me leave the palace un-protected to go traverse the land to investigate?" Sesshomaru said.

Kagome decided that enough eavesdropping had been done. She walked in without a moment's more hesitation, catching each individual's eye.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru greeted, "what brings you the library?"

"I was looking for a quiet place to read," Kagome said, which was mostly right. She mostly wanted to just find something to do. Guess she found it.

Then, she heard a voice in her head.  _ "Let us ask the Lady Priestess what  _ **_ she  _ ** _ thinks." _

Startled, she looked at Ryu with wide eyes. "That's a neat ability you have there. Please tell me you can't read minds because I've got some pretty embarrassing things locked up tight in the back of my head." A chuckle was heard that coursed through her mind.

_ "No, Priestess, only the ability to transmit my thoughts to you." _

Kagome smiled as she walked closer. "Alright, so what's going on?"


	6. Scary Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Shippou get into some trouble while the adults are mingling about in the courtyard.

"So what's going on?" Kagome asked as she stepped closer.

She noticed, up to this point, that Inuyasha was also in the room but had his arms crossed. He seemed to be deep in thought and, for once, not getting too hyped up over anything.

Sachiko decided to speak then. "Villages in all territories have been decimated in one form or another. There have been mass reports of burnings all over the country." He bent over a scroll that was spread out over the table they all stood around. "We have marked each one that no longer exists." Kagome came to stand between Ryu and Sesshomaru, inspecting the map herself. Her eyes widened as she saw the black chicken scratch all over the map. She glanced at Sesshomaru and back at the map with wide eyes, wondering what he was planning to do about it.

_ "Lord and Lady Hoshiko, who once resided in the North,"  _ Ryu informed as he pointed to a spot on the map,  _ "have been reported missing. Prince and Princess Takeda in the mid-north have also been listed missing." _

"I have sent reports to the far south, further than my den," Kouga said as he also pointed to spots on the map, "here and here. Lord Kaido and his offspring have not responded, and the Lord and Lady furthest South are missing."

"Have there been any humans that you may have noticed of importance that have disappeared?" Sachiko asked her directly.

"No, but people go missing all the time with humans; none would think it odd and attribute it to just pillaging bandits or barbarians," Kagome said, "some would even accuse demons, but that's pretty common and nothing note-worthy."

"We have sent messengers to several important persons along the coast and have received no reply," Sachiko said with a frown, "my best guess is that they have either been captured or killed."

"I've had wolves who have gone missing, too," Kouga said after a thought, "I just didn't think they were missing because they like to horse around so much. Usually takes them a while to get back with anything, but not this long."

_ "What do we do? There aren't many resources that we have left, and almost all human communication has been intercepted or completed closed off to us."  _ Ryu stated with narrowed eyes at Sesshomaru.  _ "There's no possible way to investigate, even  _ **_ if _ ** _ Sesshomaru were to leave his home." _

"What about the demon slayers?" Kagome asked.

"What about them?" Sachiko asked, "They would likely hunt us down and kill us rather than help us."

Kagome shook her head, "I have a few friends who are demon slayers. They could be our inside men. We can wait till the festival is over and then go to see them directly because they still reside in Sesshomaru's territory. It would be, maybe, a two or three-day trip to get there unless we hustle and bring it down to maybe a day." She could see the skepticism bloom across both Sachiko and Ryu's face. "I know that the slayers aren't exactly on the  _ greatest  _ of terms with demons, but the ones that I know are actually  _ admirable _ . They are loyal and trustworthy and used to travel with Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and me. Even Kouga knows them."

"She's right," Kouga said, backing her up, "the slayers are a force to be reckoned with, but they trust us. They also have a monk in their arsenal."

"So, what's the plan?" Inuyasha said, finally speaking up. "Even if we went, I agree with Sesshomaru. We can't just leave our home unprotected while we go running around looking for goons."

Kagome bit her lip. "Then, we need to prepare harder to make sure that these walls stay strong." Even she didn't feel as convincing as she wanted to be. "Look, it might be a necessary risk for Sesshomaru to leave. If we hurry, we can literally be back in three days tops before anyone will notice we're even gone."

"Why don't we just stay behind, then? Sesshomaru can go by himself while we hold down the fort," Inuyasha interjected, his brows furrowing.

"Because even if the slayers trust us, they trust you and me  _ more  _ than they trust Sesshomaru. A demon just waltzing up to the village full of demon slayers isn't  _ exactly _ the smartest way to get their attention."

"Then... you stay here, and Sesshomaru and I can-"

"That's not a good idea, Inuyasha," Kagome said with a shake of her head, cutting him off effectively. "I  _ just _ said that you can't just walk on up there and expect things to be all hunky-dory. That's why I  _ need _ to be there. And I already know that if I go,  _ you _ go. Which means the  _ three _ of us are  _ going. _ "

All of them remained quiet for a time before Sesshomaru started to roll the map up. "We will reconvene at the end of the festivities. After our meeting, we will set plans into motion."

With his dismissal, everyone aside from Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Kagome remained in the library. "I'm going to take an educated guess here and say that the festival is a cover-up," Kagome commented. "Why wasn't I told about any of this?"

"I did not think it important," Sesshomaru informed as he placed the map back on a shelf. "As you said, missing individuals is a common occurrence. As it so happens, villages burning is commonplace as well."

"Yeah, but we're smack-dab in the middle of  _ winter _ ," Kagome said with a frown, "people going missing and villages burning are less likely during the more  _ frigid _ seasons."

"The reports have been coming in since late spring of last year," Sesshomaru commented as he turned to look at her. "We had an arid spring last year and an even dryer summer. Crops across the land have been set ablaze due to natural events caused by the dry air and the sun. It would serve to note that villages are not immune to this event."

"This... this has been happening since  _ last year _ ?" Kagome said with wide eyes. "We were traipsing across the North and hunting down Naraku at that time."

"Yes," Sesshomaru said, looking at her with all seriousness, "it is why Naraku had become such a pain. He kept me from my duties of being able to investigate this matter. We searched for that abomination until late summer, did we not?"

"Yea, but... you left Rin with us for four  _ years _ ," Kagome said, "we thought..."

"I had no time to attend my duties as I was still in search of the bastard those four years as well. The issues were not brought to my attention until mid-fall last year. It is why I stayed away until  _ this  _ year. I needed to regroup and take care of political issues. Once finished, I immediately sought out you and my brother to come here with Rin. Though, at the time, I did not think you and my brother would be coming along."

Kagome remained quiet as the demon walked toward the library doors. She shared a look with Inuyasha, and the two followed him out of the library.

"So what do we do now?" Kagome asked as they exited the library.

"We enjoy the festivities this evening, tomorrow, and the day after before reconvening and finalizing our plans." He said nothing more and disappeared down the hall while Inuyasha escorted Kagome back to her room.

"I don't like this, Inuyasha," Kagome commented with a frown. "Something isn't right here."

"Yea well," Kagome looked over at him. He stared straight ahead, his brows furrowed and his arms crossed, as always. "Let's just listen to Sesshomaru and get this all over with. I got a bad feelin' about all of it, too."

Kagome nodded. "See you at the festival?" She asked as they came upon her door. Inuyasha nodded in affirmation before turning back from where they came and walking away while Kagome disappeared beyond her bedroom door.

The festival was  _ buzzing.  _ You could feel the excitement and alight energy course through your very being just from  _ watching _ . Kagome and Shippou stepped out onto the courtyard, and a sense of  _ wonder _ completely overpowered everything they felt. Decorations glittered and gleamed, lighting up nearly every inch of the square. People were filtering in, kids were laughing, adults were  _ already _ in a drunken stupor. It was every bit the party that it was intended to be.

"Hey, there's Rin!" Shippou exclaimed excitedly and pointed in a direction. Kagome followed his tiny finger until her eyes landed on the little girl getting one of the delectable treats from a stall. Sesshomaru stood tall behind her, paying for the treat as Rin excitedly bit into it. He watched her features light up with excitement as she skipped away from the stall. Shippou ran over to Rin before Kagome could even utter a word, but she wasn't too far behind. Inuyasha suddenly appeared next to her just as she got to Sesshomaru's side, and she laughed at both of their sullen faces.

"C'mon, you guys!" Kagome said, grabbing both of their hands, "Let's enjoy the evening while we have it!" She tugged them in the direction of the kids. The children wandered over to a large water fountain at the center of the festival.

"Shippou, Rin," Kagome said with a smile, "why don't you guys cheer up Inuyasha and Sesshomaru while I grab some grub for us?"

"Okay!" The two cried in unison, each of them quickly latching on to the brothers and bombarding them with questions. 

Kagome quickly found a squid bar and immediately grabbed four sticks, knowing Rin was still enjoying her own delight. She paid for her items, and when she returned, she found Rin trying to force-feed Inuyasha with whatever she had gotten from the stall earlier. "Here you go, you guys!" Kagome smiled, handing each person a squid. Everyone was eager to dig right in.

"Hey, Kagome! I want to get a kabuki mask!" Shippou suddenly exclaimed. "Well, I guess we're just going to have to go find them," she said with a grin of her own as she finished up her squid. Soon enough, everyone was done eating, and the three adults followed after the kids as they wandered about.

It was charming. Peaceful in a way. Kagome thought about how much the bouncing environment reminded her of her family's shrine during the holidays. It had a similar feel to it but more docile than regular parties. It was always nice to have the community come together for the events, and she thought about how similar and  _ familiar _ it all felt.

Shippou managed to find the mask stand, and both he and Rin quickly found their favorites. Excited to have their masks, both Kagome and Sesshomaru paid for them, and the kids were soon chattering rather animatedly about them. It wasn't until the kids grew bored that they decided to get ideas.

"Lord Sesshomaru, dance with me!" Rin exclaimed, and Kagome watched as he complied and led her out onto the courtyard to dance to the upbeat music. Kagome laughed and never would've even come close to imagining Sesshomaru adhering to a little girl's request. Her eyes glistened with admiration as the two twirled about on the floor, oblivious to onlookers.

"Would you like to dance, Mama?" Kagome looked down at the little kit, twiddling his thumbs in anticipation.

"Why, I thought you'd never ask!" Kagome said as she grabbed his hand and headed out onto the floor. She giggled and laughed as Shippou bounced around happily, not caring to look absolutely silly when dancing. After Shippou grew tired, Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha standing on the sidelines. Quickly, she went over and dragged him out, and his ears immediately went flat.

"What's wrong? Can't dance?" Kagome said, "Or are you chicken?" She gave him a smirk, and he huffed before twirling her around on the floor. She shrieked with feigned surprise and happily spun in circles with her friend.

The group soon grew tired of dancing, and the kids...well, they were still overflowing with energy.

"Kagome, can we go to the stables?" She asked. Rin looked up Sesshomaru, forming her lips into a semi-pout.

Kagome eyed the kids thoughtfully before smiling. "I don't see why not," Kagome said with a nod, "but  _ I _ am tuckered out!"

"It's okay if you want to rest for a little bit... we can take Yuki and Yumi with us... would that be okay?" Rin said as an afterthought.

"Hmmm, okay, but  _ only _ if Yuki and Yumi go with you; if they say no, you have to come back here with us, okay?"

"Okay!" The two said excitedly as they scurried off in search of the maids.

Kagome sighed with relief as she sat at a table. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru pulled up a chair near her, and the three sat in comfortable silence.  _ "Lady Kagome," _ a voice infiltrated her mind, and she blinked, momentarily confused. Looking to her left, she found Ryu approaching the table, and she greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, Lord Ryu," she said with a small bow, "are you enjoying the festival?"

Ryu didn't smile. In fact, his face stayed just as impassive as Sesshomaru's as he bowed respectfully.  _ "I am, very much in fact,"  _ he replied.  _ "I wanted to apologize for my behavior upon arrival yesterday. I was rather tired of coming all the way from the southern coast. It was not my intention to ignore your greetings last evening." _

"Oh, that's okay," she said, quirking her head to the side, "I didn't overthink about it. If I may ask, why do you use telepathy for communication? Why not just speak?"

Ryu regarded her a moment before he opened his mouth wide. She gasped, her eyes going wide. Past his astonishing, two rows of teeth was a gaping hole. His tongue had been ripped clean out of his mouth.

_ "Do not fret, My Lady," _ he said,  _ "I have long since come to terms with it. It happened when I was but a dragonling." _

Kagome could do nothing but openly gape at him. He bowed again, and she bowed in turn, and then he took his leave.

"What'd he say?" Inuyasha asked.

"Nothing much, honestly," Kagome said, "wait, you couldn't hear him? What about you, Sesshomaru?"

The two of them just looked at her, and she shrugged. "Well, I guess if you guys didn't hear it, then it was a conversation meant for just the two of us."

Inuyasha huffed and opened his mouth to say something but was distracted when screams were heard down the court. She watched as Yuki was nearly slammed to the side of the entrance to the stables with wide eyes. Her heart pounded in her ears as she watched Rin and Shippou hustle out into the square. Chasing right after them was a firebird, a  _ phoenix.  _ It squawked  _ loudly, _ screeching it's anger as it let loose a breath of fire. Just before the children could get burned alive, Sesshomaru swooped in, scooping them up in his haste to get to their side.

Kagome, panicked as she was, stopped her frantic running when she realized Sesshomaru had gotten to them in time. The phoenix screeched once more overhead, and Kagome looked up just in time to see fire hurled at her person. Inuyasha practically tackled her straight to the ground only to avoid the bird. 

Sachiko came running up and smoothly calmed the beast before escorting it back into the stables. It settled itself as Inuyasha and Kagome met up with Sesshomaru and the children.

And right then, a fire burned in Kagome's eyes as she directed her attention to Yuki, who was picking herself up off the ground. "What the  _ hell  _ just happened?" She demanded as she pulled Yuki the rest of the way to her feet.

"I-I," Yuki stuttered. Kagome took in her countenance and realized the woman had a massive bruise forming on her face. "I swear, I didn't do anything! The kids were playing around in the stables, and I was watching them. I turned to look at the festival, and people were dancing, and I turned back, and the children were trying to climb atop the bird." The woman brushed herself off, coughing to clear her throat. "I panicked and rushed over to get them, and then the stall gate came loose and-"

Kagome could figure out what happened from there. "I warned you to not let your guard down around children," she glowered as the two of them glanced back at the kids. "And now look at what has happened. Someone could have really gotten hurt. This is the whole reason I had sent the kids to come to find you and Yumi."

"Yumi is not here," she said, confused. "She is in the palace keeping the buffet in order and catering to guests." She paused for a moment, and her voice got hushed. "Am... am I.... fired?"

"That is not for me to decide," Kagome said, still miffed about the whole ordeal. "Sesshomaru will decide your punishment."

Kagome turned tail and reached for Shippou, who was shaking and crying in fear. His eyes were tightly closed as he gripped the front of her clothes. "Why don't we take the kids to bed," Kagome said gently to Sesshomaru. She could practically see the pain and panic in Sesshomaru's eyes as he tightened his hold around Rin. She was still shaking herself, and her sniffles were subsiding, and she was sure the adrenaline was still pumping through both of them.

"Kagome can... can I come to stay with you and Shippou tonight?" Rin asked, looking up at the two of them.

"Of course you can, sweetheart, as long as Lord Sesshomaru says it is okay," she said, taking a hand and smoothing out the little girl's frazzled hair.

"You may, Rin," he said with a nod, and the four of them made their way inside while Inuyasha stayed behind to survey and supervise.


	7. Chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome begins to feel even more uneasy as they take their trip to the Slayers' Village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No major warnings for this chapter, but it IS somewhat of a filler as we gear up for the next chapter. The next will be hard to write and probably even harder for some of you to read.

Winter was once again around the corner. The days were becoming colder, and the nights were near-frigid and became her only indicator of time. She had an almost constant, unrelenting shiver that left her body feeling sore after so long. Her teeth would chatter for minutes at a time before she seized control of her entire body to hug herself tightly to retain her warmth. Her worn clothing was already thinned from overuse; the lack of body fat did little to keep any heat, if at all.

Reaching into her breast pocket, she once again fiddled with her tassel. She admired the intricately woven strings that were braided into a sakura pattern up top. The red and blue beads that kept it in place at its center still shone with a brightness that contrasted greatly with her dark surroundings. The loose tendrils flared out at the bottom, reminding her lusciously fine hair. She ran her fingers repeatedly through those threads, reveling in the feeling it gave her. Her only source of solace. The only thing she has genuinely touched or felt in so  _ long... _

The day the brothers took her to the market felt like eons ago. She knew if she concentrated hard enough, it would be easier to ignore where she was. Who she was. What had become of her. If she thought long enough, it was easy to fantasize, to pretend the world currently around her didn't exist. It was something intangible that she could hold onto, even without the physical reminder now slipping between her bony fingers.

She shivered once more and placed the tassel back in her pocket. She attempted to stay warm by curling in on herself and huddling closer to where the back wall met the brick floor.

* * *

They had just finished seeing everyone off after their final meeting. Kagome hadn't gotten a whole lot of time with any of them, in all honesty. The festival, plus the children, had kept her dully occupied over the three days. Neither child had allowed the incident with the phoenix to deter them from their fun.

It had honestly come to her as a surprise when Rin asked for a sleepover a few nights prior. Both children were shaken up but totally fine... until bath time. Kagome had given Shippou a bath first and allowed him to color with his crayons while she and Rin bathed together. However, her shock was evident when she saw the bruises blooming across Rin's chest in a horrifying display of blacks and blues. Rin had been hesitant about telling Kagome about it but couldn't have avoided it even if she tried. Rin had begged Kagome not to say a word to Sesshomaru, but even Kagome couldn't promise her such a thing.

The bruise was put behind them, and it took everything she had not to cry over the massive bruise that marred the child's body. Of course, she should have suspected something the  _ second _ Rin had asked for that sleepover. She had quickly healed the girl, inciting immediate  _ relief _ for them  _ both. _

It wasn't until Rin and Shippou had fallen asleep that she immediately sought out Sesshomaru, which was easier said than done, but she managed. Sesshomaru had  _ not _ been happy to be interrupted in his study, but he became absolutely  _ livid _ the second she told him of Rin's condition. Honestly, she felt it was important he knew. He was her guardian, after all.

But it had not been easy to keep him from interrogating the girl, himself.

She figured there had been a reason Rin had come to her and not Sesshomaru and thought it best to not bring anything up until she was ready to talk about it anyhow. So, after she could calm him down, she bid him goodnight and had gone straight back to sleep that night.

And they haven't talked about it since.

Now, here she was, reluctant to leave the children unattended once more. This was  _ her _ plan, and as psyched as she was to be going on yet another adventure, she hesitated. There was a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. What if something happened to the kids while she was gone? What if they weren't guarded well enough? What if-

She stopped herself immediately, kissing each of their foreheads as she lifted her bag to her shoulder. It only had a few essentials in it so that it wouldn't hinder their travel time. Quickly, she shifted toward the door, slipping her shoes on as she went. "You're leaving, aren't you?" Shippou's voice called out in the dark. He was sniffling, and Kagome instantly went to his side.

"Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and I have some things we need to take care of," Kagome said, coming to his side of the bed. She let her hand sift through his hair, and she smiled. "We'll be back before you know it."

"I love you, Mama," he whispered as he settled back into a drowsy state.

"I love you, too," Kagome said, giving him another kiss on his forehead. Really, it was far too early to be leaving in the first place, but the sooner they departed, the sooner they could get there, and the sooner they could get back.

Kagome stood and crept back to the door. Yumi was there with a small bento box. "Here, for the road," she said with a smile, and Kagome took the box with gratitude.

"Thank you," Kagome said, "When the kids wake up, they're probably going to be confused about what's going on. We'll be back in probably the day after tomorrow if we can rush it."

Yumi nodded and bowed, standing guard the door for the children. She would more than likely be there for the rest of the night to ensure nothing goes wrong. Kagome nodded in her direction, a silent warning to the woman.

"Let us make haste," Sesshomaru said when Kagome finally approached.

Kagome nodded, "Yea, I was just telling Shippou goodbye. He woke up before I could get out the door." Her voice was soft as Sesshomaru extended a hand out to help her up on top of Ah-Un. When she was situated, she turned to Inuyasha, who had his arms folded as he patiently waited. "Running or riding?" She asked.

Inuyasha shook his head, "You ain't gettin' me on that thing. Kirara was safer. That thing shoots lightning from its mouth."

"Alright," Kagome said. "Let's get a move on then." She wasn't prepared for the two-headed dragon to launch into the air immediately. She had gripped the saddle to steady herself as her body lurched backward, trying to keep with the beast. "Onward and upward, huh Ah-Un?" She said as the two flew across the sky. Sesshomaru formed his nimbus at his feet and easily kept to Ah-Un's side on the off chance that Kagome fell. Inuyasha easily kept the pace down below.

Kagome eventually grew comfy enough to open the little bento box that Yumi had given her. However, eating atop a dragon while in motion, several hundred feet in the air with high wind speeds, was no easy feat. For the most part, she nibbled on just the grapes for breakfast, seeing as how they were the least likely thing to go flying from her chopsticks.

It wasn't until sunset when they finally reached the Slayers' Village. They didn't once stop, and it was clear that Kagome had become cramped and restless. The second she stepped off the dragon was the second her butt, legs, and back all ached at once. She had been right when she said she needed to be with them. They were ready to shoot them out of the sky until she dropped down with Ah-Un. Immediately noticing her priestess attire, they allowed her and the rest in.

Kirara was the first to really greet them. In her more demonic form, probably helping someone out somewhere, she had run straight up to the gate to rub her large face into Inuyasha's body, quickly followed by nuzzling into Kagome's. Of course, Kirara also escorted them straight to Sango and Miroku's hut.

"It's good to see you again," Miroku greeted with a respectful bow before gripping wrists with Inuyasha and hugging Kagome.

"I was wondering when we were due for a visit," Sango said as she hugged Kagome in turn. "You guys have been gone for a while."

"Lots of things have happened since we last saw you," Kagome said, "unfortunately, we only have a day to be able to relay everything."

"Well, why don't we get you three settled in for the evening? I'm afraid the only place available currently is the spare room we have in our home," Miroku informed as he gestured toward the entrance of their hut. "The rest of the village is still being constructed, and the huts already built have been claimed by others."

Kagome nodded her appreciation as she followed after the two. She knew right and well that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru would follow in shortly. She was glad to be offered a room- with how early they had been up that morning to get here, she knew she'd be knocking out early.

And yet, when she laid herself down on the bedroll, she couldn't will her thoughts to still and give her peace for the evening.

Her eyes glanced over to Sesshomaru, who looked as though he were simply meditating; he sat cross-legged with his back ramrod straight and his swords resting across his legs. She allowed her eyes to roam across the room to the shoji sliding doors that opened out onto the patio. Inuyasha had them wide open, with him laying down on his side and looking out at the wintry landscape beyond.

The braziers had kept the room reasonably warm - perhaps a bit  _ too _ warm, which was why the doors were opened in the first place. The three of them were quiet for some time before Kagome gave a sigh and gave up on sleeping. She sat up in her cot, crossing her legs and slumping forward.

"You should be resting," Sesshomaru commented, and she glanced at him and noted that he didn't even open his eyes to look at her.

Inuyasha's ears twitched from the corner of her eye, catching her attention, and she sighed once more. "I feel sort of... restless."

"It's just your nerves," Inuyasha said offhandedly.

"Maybe," Kagome said, "but I'm getting a very odd vibe. I don't know. There's something wrong, but I can't place it."

Sesshomaru looked at her then. She wondered what he was thinking. "Sleep for now," Sesshomaru ordered, and Kagome could do nothing but nod.

She stared at the wall for some time after that. She did relent and lay back down, but she could've been lying there for hours before finally getting a wink of sleep. When the sun rose, she rose with it, groggy and a bit cramped up. She had been in a weird half-sleep state all night, and her tiredness was portrayed clearly across her face.

They met with Sango and Miroku for morning breakfast and quickly got to business. "I can tell that you didn't just come for a visit," Sango commented, "so what's this about?"

"Have you noticed anything strange?" Kagome asked when neither of the brothers spoke up. "People going missing, that sort of thing?"

"No, not around  _ here _ anyway," Sango replied with a shake of her head. "There've been a bunch of burnings a few villages down south; we had some of our slayers head down there to take care of it. Why?"

"There has been an influx of reports of important persons missing," Sesshomaru finally spoke. "We do not know if the burnings have any correlation."

"Kouga's got wolves missing," Inuyasha said, his knee twitching with anxiety. "And there are others, too."

"We have not gotten any reports from the east or north," Miroku informed. "Only a few youkai here and there. Just sporadic reports."

They were quiet for a few moments before Kagome spoke again. "Is there any way that you guys would be willing to help scout the surrounding human villages? Everyone who lives in the palace, aside from myself, Rin, and our nannies, are all demons. I don't think humans would be as open to giving up information to demons as they would be to humans."

"The slayers that went south were some of our best," Sango said after she shared a look with Miroku. "They aren't going to be back for at least another week. The second they get back, we can wait about a day for them to rest up before we head towards the villages closer to the borders and nearby the palace. Should we send them your direction first?"

"No, the demons in the palace do not take slayers lightly," Sesshomaru said, "it would more than likely get you killed."

"We would probably need to snoop around in smaller groups to gather more information," Miroku said thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin. "Is there anything specific you want us to find out?"

"We will need a list of missing persons," Sesshomaru commented, "and any additional information concerning the burnings and kidnappings would be useful."

They mulled and planned for some time. It wasn't until midday when Kagome felt the need to  _ leave _ that she became adamant about their travel. She became antsy.... restless, and unable to concentrate on anything other than  _ getting home _ . Inuyasha and Sesshomaru could only silently wonder what was going through her brain when they finally relented on leaving.

* * *

She could briefly recall how Inuyasha's concerned voice asked her if she was okay. She barely even remembered the trip back home. She remembered how  _ long _ it felt and the feeling of near-hysteria that infiltrated her senses. She remembered pushing Ah-Un as hard as she could, could even remember Sesshomaru flying past to pull back on the reigns.

And then they saw it... the black smoke that billowed up like dark clouds on the horizon. Inuyasha couldn't see it down below; there were far too many trees. But what she and Sesshomaru could  _ see _ had their hearts racing. She had shared a look with him right then, the concern reflecting across each of their faces as realization dawned on them both.

Shoes echoed down the hall. She quickly hid her yellow tassel and huddled into the wall. She practically snarled when she realized who it was again. Every so often, the woman would show her face to her, and she could feel the same fierce anger completely overpower everything else.

"I think it's about time I show you," the woman's taunting voice echoed to her. "I think you deserve to see their fate."

The woman's face came into view, and she sat up straighter, glaring her hardest. "Why should I believe anything you say?"

"I have Kaguya's mirror," the woman said smugly, "it only shows the truth. It took some time to hunt this trinket down like you wouldn't believe." The woman legitimately sounded proud of herself. "I feel like our master is honestly just tormenting you for fun these days. Not that I'm complaining, but your reactions are becoming predictably boring. Nevertheless, as instructed, I will show you."

The woman bent down, and Kagome's brows knitted, focusing on the little mirror in front of the bars of her cell. When little Rin's face came into view, her face scrunched in sadness. "I don't want to see it."

"Oh, but you must," the woman said, her smirk stretching clear across her face.

"For what purpose?" Kagome said, her voice breaking. "I've already done  _ your _ master enough service. I'm done. I refuse to anymore."

"Demonkind is still a threat,  _ priestess, _ " the woman practically growled out. "And as far as I'm concerned,  _ priestesses _ are  _ also _ a threat to mankind."

"Then why are  _ you _ doing this?" Kagome demanded.

"Wouldn't  _ you _ like to know?" The woman said with a sneer as she thrust the mirror through the bars. It rolled to a stop some distance from Kagome, and all she could do was stare at it.

The woman turned on her heel and left the area, leaving Kagome to her thoughts. Kagome really didn't  _ want _ to know the fate of her friends. Of course, by the way, the woman spoke, she made it sound like they were all  _ dead. _ But the notion was ridiculous. They were still alive... weren't they?

Suddenly, the question of  _ time _ passed through her mind. She wondered, exactly, how long she had been held in captivity. It couldn't be more than... a couple years, right?  _ Right? _

With trembling hands, she reached for the mirror. What if the mirror was rigged? What if... what if they  _ made _ the mirror to only show her  _ certain _ things? Like how Kanna used  _ her _ mirror to steal her soul? What if it was made for that purpose?

She had to know, she decided.

She needed to find out what this mirror knew. She needed to see her friends, if only for one last time. She wanted to see them again. Even if whatever the mirror showed her rang true -even if it was  _ false-  _ she  _ had _ to know what happened to them. They  _ never _ would have let her rot in her cell... would they? If they knew she was here... they wouldn't have abandoned her... right?

Her faith was shaken. To this point, she always had assumed...  _ knew...  _ that they would come for her. That someone,  _ anyone _ , would come barging in and tearing down the rotted walls of her prison. That they would sweep her away off her feet and take her someplace safe.

The still would come... wouldn't they? Whoever it was, they would come. It didn't even have to be a friend... some valiant soul would come crashing in, reigning in their triumph for taking out a group of  _ very _ misguided people.

Her lip trembled as her fingers hovered over the mirror. Unleashed tears burned at the corners of her eyes as her hesitation took control of her.

She still wanted to know... didn't she?


	8. Secret Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome watches from Kaguya's mirror as the events unfold and replay from someone else's point of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Character death.  
> A/N: I had a very hard time figuring out how I wanted this part to play out. Hope you enjoy the chapter, and I'll see you guys in the next one!

It was quiet within the palace as she carried Rin back to her bed. Everyone had gone to their respective rooms, and everything was relatively peaceful. The children had gone to sleep a bit earlier today than usual. After Shippou had nodded off on Rin during the evening outing, it was clear that it would be an early night.

Most of the servants had already gone to sleep as well. Only the nightly guard remained at the end of each hallway. There was a moment where even she paused to enjoy the silence. It had been so busy with activity around the palace; lately, she had hardly the time to do anything else but cater to everyone's whims. She loathed the fact that she even had to do  _ any  _ of this. But time and time again, she would tell herself to remain as patient as possible.

She returned to her room and immediately began searching through her drawers. It was already very late in the night, and she knew it was now or never. Footsteps behind her made her aware of another person in her room.

"Did you do it?" She asked, pausing in her search.

"I've decided I wanted to stay," her sister said softly, "I don't think I can do this."

"What do you mean?" She asked, standing to full height. "We were in this together. Do you even  _ know _ what he'll do to us if we spend much longer here? It's already been seven years! He's  _ not _ going to forgive us for taking this long."

"But... they're not bad people," she said, trying to convince her otherwise. "I don't think they deserve any of this."

"If you won't do it, then  _ I _ will," she said as she attempted to walk past her.

"Sister,  _ please, _ " the woman said as she stepped into her path. "You very well know that we are both safe here."

"Says  _ who? _ That demon lord?" She spat back, "You don't understand the number of resources our master has at his disposal. If we don't do this while we have the chance, we may end up  _ stuck _ here for the rest of our lives, catering to a little girl's bidding. Is that what you want?"

"Rin is not demanding, and you are irrational," she retorted back, quickly feeling like her words were failing her. Her side of this skirmish was quickly dying, and she knew that if she didn't convince her, there was no going back.

"The master... I don't really know what his plans are," she finally said, "but if we don't do what he says, you and I  _ both _ know it will both of our heads. Aside from that... they are  _ sympathizers _ . They have no right to even be here. That alone should be enough to rid ourselves of these  _ blemishes _ ."

"I can not let you do what you have planned," her sister said, blocking the exit to the door.

Her entire countenance turned dark as her power began to leak from her skin, calculated.  _ Controlled _ . Placing a sound and scent barrier around her person and her sister was an easy task, one she had learned early on. With anger lacing into her words, she spat, "Move, Sister, or become one of the many who will fall."

Her mind reeled as her sister pushed her back. Her sister didn't have power like her and couldn't combat her sister's destructive force. But she would try. 

And she would fail.

They brawled- they rolled across the floor, each tearing clothing and clawing at the other. She knew her power made her sister sick, and fighting through that sickness was a feat in itself. She hadn't any idea the amount of fight her sister could really put up. They tousled a few moments more, tripping over each other to get away from the other.

Her sister was pulling herself up by the corner of her bedpost. Before her sister could regain her footing, she quickly yanked her head back by her hair and slammed her sister's head forward on the sharp edge of the bedpost with as much force as she could put into the swing.

There was no pause in her actions. She repeatedly swung, hearing the satisfying bone crunch against the wood. So blinded by her duties, was she, that she failed to notice that her sister was already dead by the time she stopped.

Blood pooled at their feet as she finally took a breather and pulled away from her now-still sister. With a grumble, she removed a tatami mat nearby and pulled open a floorboard. She knew she'd have to kill someone within the palace at some point for getting in her way; she just hadn't expected it to be her own sister. She pulled out various items she had hidden there. Enough for a large trunk. She had been prepared for this. She had known that her backup room arrangements would be needed someday.

She found the backup replacement mats and bedding that she had stuffed near the bottom of the hole. She carefully placed them near her dresser and then proceeded to drag her sister over to the deep hole. She tossed her sister's limp form into the hole, only pausing briefly to inspect her sister's broken, bruised, and bloody face. Her face had split dead center between her brows, and her nose looked as if it had caved inward. With a sneer, she threw her sister into the hole and didn't look back.

"You deserve to burn with the rest of them," she commented as she removed the bedding from her bed and the bloodied tatami mats. She shed her own clothing, tossing everything down into the hole with her sister. She grabbed her oil lamp and poured as much oil as she could over the hole before replacing the floorboard and the mat. She returned everything with new ones before going to the connected springs and washing as quickly as she could manage. She didn't want the smell of blood to attract anything just in case her scent barrier couldn't overpower it.

Quickly, she turned out the lights and crept to her door. She remained barefooted so as not to make a sound as she cracked the door open. The windows indicated that sunrise was rapidly approaching- if she didn't do this  _ now _ , then she would have to wait even  _ longer. And _ she might be found out about her sister.

Not that the demons  _ cared _ .

She waited for the guard-switch and then padded quickly to the launder down beneath the floor in the servants' quarters. The oil that dripped from hands would help spread the flame across the building as well. She had been casually dropping the liquid everywhere all day.

She tilted her lamp and allowed the flame to engulf the room. It only took a span of a few moments. And then... she made her way to Rin's room.

She knew that no one would go into the launder until at least midday. It would give the bottom floors enough time to burn before reaching the next base up. If she succeeded, there would be no one able to tame the flames, and everyone would either be forced to flee or be burned alive because the fire would be too great to put out.

Creeping into the little girl's room, she quietly closed the door and came to stand before her bed. And Rin woke, startled.

"Yumi?" She asked, "What's going on?" She yawned and stretched. When Yumi didn't answer, Rin quirked her head to the side in silent contemplation. "Is something wrong?"

Yumi remained quiet a moment, trying to determine how best to do this. "I do wish you were not a child for this," she said as she began reaching forward.

Rin, not understanding what was happening, leaned forward as well, thinking she was about to be carried. To her utter surprise, however, the maid's hands wrapped around her throat, and she suddenly couldn't breathe. Her eyes flew open wide, and she was suddenly aware of everything happening around her. Her hands raised to Yumi's wrists, attempting to pull them away as she tried to gasp out. "Y-Yumi, p-please..." She rasped as best she could.

"Unfortunately, you have spent far too long with these demons, a sin that you must pay for with your life. Your parents should have taught you that consorting with demons could be costly," she said as she squeezed tightly. She had no interest in dragging this out longer than it had to. She didn't want the girl to be murdered brutally, and choking her to death seemed like the least likely violent way to go. Of course, if she could speak, then she wasn't pressing hard enough.

At least, that's what she had thought before Rin began kicking. Her nails scratched hard into her arms as the woman put more weight into her hands. She forced Rin back onto the bed, and Rin's frantic actions became even more erratic. She looked everywhere, her eyes wild, trying to call for help as her mouth opened wide without a sound.

"STOP, you're hurting her!!" Cried Shippou, and she turned to see the little fox demon racing toward her. His hands blazed blue as he zipped through the room. She hadn't even heard the door open... when did he even  _ get  _ there? The surprise in her face lasted only a moment before she swatted him to the side effortlessly.

"I will not be thwarted, child!" She yelled as she focused on keeping Rin down. She was reaching for Shippou, still kicking, but her movements were becoming sluggish.

"Rin!" Shippou cried again, panic beginning to sweep across his face as he charged at the woman full force.

Yumi threw up a barrier and forced it to expand as Shippou's body collided with it. It electrocuted him on the spot, suspending him in the air for but a moment, and he fell... limp and quiet. Her power cracked, flashing deep purple lights throughout the room for a few moments before she reigned it in. She turned her attention back to Rin and saw her eyes fade. Her hands went limp, and her legs stopped resisting. Her body twitched from lack of air, and soon enough, she, too, was gone.

She waited for the twitching to stop. Her own face had contorted into a hateful grimace, and she hadn't even noticed until she felt her own body relax. It was almost as if she lost all self-awareness as she committed murder.

She rolled her neck and shoulders as she inspected the two children before her. She lifted Rin's limp body and placed her beneath the covers. "You, at least, will not be burned alive, Rin," she spoke as she walked over to Shippou. She lifted Shippou as well and carried him to the bed, tucking him in beside the girl, as if there was never anything wrong. She even closed the girl's eyes and gave them the illusion of restful sleep before using the hidden tunnels connected to an exit leading out of the palace. She made sure to cave in the tunnel behind her, hoping to block off at least one of their exits.

When she left, she waited nearby. A neighboring hilltop that she allowed herself a small picnic in. Something exploded in the palace above the treetops. She figured it was probably her room, actually. She had left a lot of things that could go  _ boom  _ out in her bedroom. She smiled happily- her job was done. If only her sister had seen it. If only she could have seen how  _ successful _ they would've been.  _ Together _ .

She watched as the fire reached well above the treetops. Screaming could be heard from within the palace. Demons were beginning to flee the palace and enter the courtyard- some on fire, some not. She watched the lot of them weep as they filled the square nearly to the brim.

She watched, fascinated as the black smoke billowed out. She only waited a few minutes to ensure that the palace  _ would _ , indeed, burn thoroughly. She supposed no one was watching the launder, considering how successful she'd been. She idly wondered if anyone was even  _ watching _ her. Or, perhaps, they had all just become comfortable within her and her sister's presence within their home.

And then she saw  _ him _ . The demon lord was  _ early.  _ But it was already too late... she knew the flames would have already reached the top floor where the children resided. She hoped it pained him. And then she saw him practically  _ drop _ Kagome and race into the flames  _ himself. _ How glorious this was! Excitement coursed through her body- the hope that one of the great demon lords be taken down in flames had her body pumping with adrenaline.

But she couldn't stay. Any longer, and she would be at risk of exposure. So quickly, she made her way down the back of the hill where her ride waited, anticipating her reward for her success.

* * *

Kagome dropped the mirror in her hands, and it cracked against the brick. Neverending tears flowed past her cheeks. A hand flew to her mouth as she realized the horrendous extent of Yumi's actions. Yumi's heels clicked on the brick as she returned, and she clicked her tongue upon noticing the cracked mirror.

"Do you  _ know _ how long it took me to get that mirror?" The woman said as she flipped her hair back. 

"Why?" Kagome asked, her throat constricting. The very life draining from little Rin's face made her want to vomit- it was a scene that she will forever be stuck with. Forever be tortured with. "Why would you do this? Any of it?"

"You  _ know _ why," Yumi said, "You've  _ been _ through it. How can you sit there and pretend like you, yourself, have never done anything so horrendous."

"I have no choice," Kagome said, anger seeping into her words as she forced herself to sit straighter. "I was  _ forced _ to do it."

"As was I," Yumi said as she placed a hand at her hip. "You know you could roam about freely, yet you  _ choose _ to stay  _ here _ of all places. Tell me," she said as she leaned down, "do you  _ want  _ to be raped? Do you  _ want _ to be beaten and starved? Because you being rebellious is not helping you, at all."

"I don't want  _ any _ of those things," Kagome said as she clenched her fists at her side. "You killed them for such a prejudiced reason."

"And  _ you _ killed for your own selfish desire for  _ freedom _ ."

"A mistake, I can say, that I am paying for every day I remain within the confines of this cell," Kagome replied, her voice beginning to crack. "And what of you? You can't  _ honestly _ tell me that you have no regrets."

"Oh, I have regrets," the woman said back, and she sighed dreamily, "I've regretted not recruiting you sooner. You are a  _ beast _ out there. Wish I had taken the chance to see you in action by your side as a companion. What a shame that you are being collared and shackled to this cell," she paused a moment to think. "I regret not noticing my sister's loyalties sooner. Had I know from the start, I never would have brought her along. The demons had bewitched her, and you  _ encouraged _ that sort of fraternizing with the  _ enemy. _ Of course, that is what the backup plans were for. You just never know what will happen."

Kagome allowed her gaze to pass over the woman. There were scars on the woman's arm... no doubt a lasting effect from the skirmish with Rin and her sister. The only evidence that probably remained of the little girl.

"What happened to you?" The woman asked, curiousness laced in her tone. "You were so powerful. And you've taken out so-"

"Stuff it," Kagome said, turning her head away. "I'd prefer to not recall those atrocious days."

The woman's grin widened, clearly new material to work over the broken priestess. "Are you ready to come back out into the light  _ again? _ "

"Never," Kagome replied as she crossed her arms and huddled against the wall. She didn't bother to wipe her cheeks- it would only smear more dirt.

"Suit yourself," Yumi replied as she stood up again. She straightened out her clothing, "but remember, the Young Master is not as patient as the two previous ones. He  _ will _ get what he wants, however soon it will be."

"It was you, wasn't it," Kagome choked out before Yumi could leave. "You let the wolves in and killed the rabbit and the phoenix bird accident, too."

"You know, it really wasn't easy to get the screws loose on that stable. You have no idea the number of different tools I use just to get the pin to come out," Yumi said with a wicked grin.

Yumi's clicks down the hall indicated her swift departure and allowed a sob to tear past Kagome's lips. She wept long and hard for the little girl whose life had been taken far too early. If only she'd been there... if only she hadn't  _ insisted _ on enlisting the slayers for help. Maybe then she wouldn't be here. Perhaps then she and the other would still be together. They'd have a home.

Or maybe... it would still end up the same way as before. Maybe later. Maybe sooner.

She wondered if she liked the pain. In a way, it was a blessing to know what had become of the little girl. The last she'd seen her...

She shivered as she gripped the sides of her head to hush the voices that haunted her mind. The roars and screams of those who'd lost their lives to the palace echoed all around her. The sounds of the flames flaring past her ears were overbearing. The amount of pure  _ heat _ surrounded the area when they had approached the palace.

If only she could go further back in time... if only...


	9. The Burning Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon arrival, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru rush into the burning building in search of those trapped within the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The first third of this chapter is more of a filler than anything and is not truly detrimental to the plot of the storyline, but it DOES drop some hints for future chapters. I'd also like to apologize for the delay of this chapter! I had an awful time writing it for some reason, even though I knew what, exactly, I WANTED to write. X'D Anyway, here it is! I'll see you guys in the next chapter!

Bile rose to the back of her throat. The amount of disgust she had just witnessed had her mind  _ reeling _ . With hollow eyes, she looked up to the woman responsible. How could she have done this? How  _ sick _ did you have to be to do this?

"It really was a shame that Little Rin had to endure that," Yumi said as she leaned down and placed her chin in her hand. She had really only been gone for an hour. "Had it not been for my sister, I would have killed her a lot less painfully. Had it not been for  _ you _ , she might not have been killed at all."

"You're sick in the mind," Kagome choked out, "no normal person could have done what you have. You can't guilt-trip me or place blame on me for what you've done."

"Normal?" The woman retorted with a huff, " _ You _ want to talk to  _ me _ about being...  _ normal? _ " She laughed outright, wiping a few tears from her eyes that had managed to escape with her mirth. " _ You _ are probably the most unnatural thing to ever walk this world. Just look at how long you have been  _ living. _ And you want to talk to me about being  _ normal. _ "

"What are you  _ talking _ about?" Kagome said, "I'm about as  _ normal _ as you can get."

"Don't act like you have never done anything other than what I have," she said, "you are just as much a killer as I am."

"I would never kill in the way that you have," Kagome said with narrowed eyes. Even if that was all the strength she had left, she would give it. Even if, perhaps, it was the least she could do.

" _ But you have, _ " the woman said as she sat down cross-legged. "Don't think I haven't heard the stories of you wiping out those families. You  _ really _ don't have to even be in here, especially if you're capable of  _ that _ ."

"I choose to be here," Kagome interrupted. "I am..."

"You're  _ what? _ Seeking  _ penance? _ " Yumi shook her head disdainfully. "One hundred and fifty years have gone by, and you have  _ yet _ to show any signs of maturity. You're acting like a rebellious adolescent. You being here does nothing for you except slow your death, and already  _ that  _ was slow, to begin with."

Even though she had long ago realized that she had stopped aging, she could hardly recall how long it had even been. The shock from her face was enough to tell Yumi she hadn't even been aware of the amount of time. Years really did fly. And what's more... she would never see those kids again.

"A hundred and fifty years, huh?" Kagome said with a lackluster laugh. "And to think... I could've been living in a palace all the way up to my time."

"Ah yes, you said you were from five hundred years in the future," Yumi said with a nod of her head. "Do you think you will still be in captivity up until then?"

"Honestly? No," Kagome said, sitting up as straight as she could against the wall. The strength had left her so long ago. "You're here to convince me to work for you again. I refuse."

"Well, they can't say I didn't try," Yumi said, leaning back on the pads of her hands. "Though these days, you  _ are _ looking more haggard than not."

"Why do you all even keep me alive?" Kagome said. "There's literally no point. I won't work for you. My usefulness has long since expired. I did your dirty work for a time, either let me go or let me  _ die. _ "

"You know how the master is," Yumi said, rolling her eyes. "He likes his trophies; like _ the grandfather, like father, like son. _ You really think he's gonna just let you walk on out? His collection stems from his grandfather, and he's already holding steadfastly."

Talking with her like this felt almost  _ normal _ . Why? Why was it like this? Shouldn't she be more upset? Shouldn't she be throwing fits? Shouldn't she be trying to rip the woman's throat out? Shouldn't she...

But she couldn't.

She barely had the strength anymore. All of the fight was gone; her body felt weary, and her emotions were going haywire. The woman in front of her kept throwing it all in her face over and over again, as well. When would it end?  _ Why _ wouldn't it end? What ancestor did she piss off so  _ badly _ to have her stuck here? Why did  _ she  _ have to pay anyway?

Her baby...  _ their _ babies...

She stopped listening to everything and anything Yumi had to say. Her droning voice filled the silence of the halls, but it was unwelcome. Frustration filled her being... for she could do nothing but sit there and  _ take _ it—no energy in her limbs.

She had caught a glimpse of herself in Kaguya's mirror. Her face was so sunken in, she was a literal walking skeleton. When was the last time she even had passed a solid excretion? When was the last time she provided self-care for herself?

Her thoughts were erratic. She could no more concentrate on what the woman said to her than her own thoughts. She began mumbling to herself as she tuned out everything around her. She didn't know when Yumi stood or when she walked off. She hummed lightly, enough to fill her own silence. The loneliness she felt was immense. The quiet was deafening. Only her mind kept her going these days.

And the tassel. She loved that tassel...

Her fist clenched softly at her side as she stared into the darkness. Tears slipped from her eyes, and she made no attempt to wipe at them. She wondered what Rin and Shippou's last thoughts were... but she had a guess. And that's what made it that much harder.

It was easier to believe that they had suffocated from the smoke inhalation. It was easier to accept they had died with that fire. But to know that it was someone they trusted, someone who they  _ all  _ thought was  _ safe _ ... and she knew...  _ it was her fault.  _ For never seeing the signs. For never speaking up and firing them on the spot. How many  _ accidents _ had there been before she showed up? How many  _ accidents _ had Rin gotten into before she had come to live with her and Kaede? Just how long had the two maids even been  _ plotting? _

It was so  _ hard  _ to wrap her head around. And just like that, the screams were back. They filled her mind. And she weakly lifted her hands to her ears in a failed attempt to block the sounds and images from playing in her mind's eye.

* * *

They raced the last stretch of land to reach the palace, but it felt like they weren't going fast  _ enough _ . Kagome clung to Sesshomaru's fur for dear life, with her chest  _ aching _ . Inuyasha attempted to keep up down below, perhaps not understanding the sudden urgency. The gravity for their return was palpable; what if they were too late? Just as they began nearing the square, the front entrance of the building collapsed. A knot twisted in her gut, and she wondered briefly if Sesshomaru felt it. Her hands twisted and tangled themself ever further into Sesshomaru's fur. She just hoped there had been no one caught inside.

They landed quickly, Kagome climbing down as fast as she possibly could. She had hardly made it halfway down when Inuyasha's arms wrapped around her to put her on the ground as quickly and safely as possible. Sesshomaru transformed back into his humanoid form; the intense winds from the transformation had the flames waving in the opposite direction, clearing some of the black smoke that had already begun filtering into the square.

The heat was near-unbearable, with them standing as close as they were. The flames licked at the square and roared in Kagome's ears... but she couldn't hear it. The adrenaline and panic that she could feel building within her had her chest heaving. Her eyes darted about, looking for the two little ones that she hoped had not been trapped inside. Even the panicked screams of those who had resided in the palace seemed to fade to the back of her mind during her brief search. The cries of families, of children... she could hardly hear them. Her focus was on her own kids. 

Her own eyes were wide with fear and borderline panic. The calm she exuded was false, and she could do nothing but stare as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru raced into the burning palace to retrieve their children.

And then suddenly, more of the building fell to pieces, and she had to take a few steps back so she wouldn't get hurt by the slowly falling debris. And then both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru whipped past her and into the falling apart building. And her heart lept to her throat.

_ The kids are still in there _ . She knew. She didn't want to acknowledge it, but she  _ knew _ . But, to portray calm, she had to keep her head. She turned back to people who were fussing back and forth across the square.

Some were attempting to use their abilities to stall the fire, but their power was drawn up short. Taming the fire would take at least three firetrucks from her era- there was no way they were going to stop the flames from eating their home. Wood had already splintered and cracked, and the intensity of the heat would ensure that it would continue to burn. Black smoke had already re-filled the square; if anything, this fire was  _ still _ spreading and  _ threatening _ to overtake the entire courtyard, too. People - demons - with varying looks of horrified petrification stood on the edge of the court, avoiding the fire as best they could. Many were weeping, and others seemed to seized functioning. She could see clusters of people, some by age, some by relation. A group of crying children seemed to hold her attention, causing her gaze to linger.

Tears began to bead at the corners of her eyes. For each long minute that transpired, it was yet another long moment that she had to wait. Time felt like it had slowed to a crawl; she knew that she had only been standing there for a mere minute or so, but it felt like it were so much  _ longer _ . Several had tried to get her to evacuate the square within those couple of minutes, but she refused to move until she could confirm anything. But as the building began shifting at its foundation, she was forced several paces back toward the edge of the courtyard where others waited as well.

And then it happened.

They were there, right in front of her. And she was overcome with relief. She made her way through what felt like scores of people rushing back and forth in an attempt to save their home. She was pushed, and she stumbled, but she forced herself through the throng of people. She saw Sesshomaru take a few steps forward from the now-decrepit building.

And then Sesshomaru dropped to one knee.

And her whole world stopped.

_ She _ stopped.

The children in his arms were limp, utterly devoid of life. Thoughts raced through her mind as she came to a stop within a few feet of them. Her eyes widened minutely as she froze. The sight in front of her was, perhaps, the most heart-wrenching thing she'd ever witnessed.

Tears slid from Sesshomaru's eyes and had stopped all process of thought. His arm trembled, holding tightly to the two lifeless bodies. That little bit of expression... it was enough to confirm everything in her mind. His own stunned expression mirrored her own as she slowly slid to her knees, still several paces away. Tears flowed freely down to her chin, and she suddenly felt as though she couldn't think. Her body went numb, her hands trembled as they supported her upper body on the ground. She let her gaze drop to the ground and watched her tears pool between her hands in the cracked stone bricks.

She registered the screams all around her, but it suddenly felt so surreal. There were sudden sparks of energy everywhere, but all she focused on were the two children who lay in Sesshomaru's arm. Gone... and yet here... all at the same time.

She raised her gaze to look once more at the children, raising her hand as if to reach for them. Then... someone came up behind Sesshomaru and snapped something around his neck. Kagome's eyes widened, and she felt the sudden scramble from her body as she lurched forward to get to her feet. Her eyes widened further when she realized the collar blocked all traces of Sesshomaru's power, shocking him in place. His entire body went ramrod straight as if he were being electrocuted from the inside out. His jaw clenched, and his arm went slack. The children fell unceremoniously from his careful hold, still unmoving.

She clambered to straighten herself, and then abruptly, something was being clicked into place around her own neck. And her body  _ burned. _ Every vein in her body scorched as her power flared to the surface in an attempt to block whatever was happening. Her muscles seized- it was like she had developed a cramp that went straight from the tips of her ears to her pinky toes. Her teeth ground against each other, her jaw locking as pain flared through her chest at her core. And almost as soon as all of it had come... it was gone. The burning sensation she had felt nearly had her face-planting into the smooth stone of the square. It left her breathless, gasping for air. Her lungs burned as they tried to find oxygen again. She hadn't even realized she had stopped breathing within those few moments. It couldn't have lasted for more than a few seconds, but those were probably some of the longest seconds she'd ever had. And then... she was dragged backward.

She screamed and kicked, her heels digging into the stone and attempting to catch. Her sandal snapped and came loose from her foot, flying haphazardly across the brick. Screaming reached her ears, and she realized then that people were being ambushed and captured all around her. She managed to face her attacker, her nails digging into the man's skin. It seemed like the man was startled at first by the fight she had put up because he paused a moment, and she had nearly gotten loose from his hold. The man then placed an arm around her shoulders to get her to comply, and she bit down hard enough to rip the skin on the man's forearm that held her. He cursed and swung, his fist hitting her square in the face, right on her cheekbone, and she let go. She could feel where her skin had split from the ring that was on the man's finger. She struggled to her feet, scrambling to get back to the children, to Sesshomaru. Reaching out toward them, only to be pulled back once more, this time by her hair. She was dragged as her body flailed, anything to try and knock the guy off balance, but he had a firm grip on her.

The adrenaline and sheer panic that pumped through her veins had her lively animated body thrashing. The man tugged  _ hard _ on her hair, nearly ripping it from her scalp, and she fell to her knees, scraping them across the stone. She bit back a hiss as she attempted, again to bite him. Only this time, he simply picked her up, shoving her and throwing her over his shoulder. She beat on his back as he carted her away.

She glanced back at Sesshomaru and watched as he, too, was toted away like a sack of potatoes- had he lost consciousness? What happened? Just how  _ powerful _ were these devices? And then she saw Inuyasha appear. Her eyes widened.. no one had noticed him yet.

"Inuyasha!" She cried, and Inuyasha found her voice and flinched in her direction. "The children! Get the children!"

He seemed unsure at first,  _ hesitant _ . But there was no  _ time _ to decide, and Kagome  _ knew  _ he was contemplating saving her. "Inuyasha,  _ run!"  _ She exclaimed as she was thrown into a crate. She could feel the bruises forming on her back where she had hit one of the bars.

"Shut the hell up,  _ bitch," _ said the man as he slammed her head back into the bar. She slumped forward, unable to move after the blow to her head. The man kicked the door to the crate closed and walked away. She reached forward through the bars.

"Run... Inuyasha..." She whispered. Her eyelids were heavy as she sluggishly moved her head to look around, dizzy and likely having a concussion. Sesshomaru had been tossed into a cage and placed in a wagon nearby. "No..." She muttered, tears forming anew. "Se...Sesshomaru..." Her eyelids fluttered closed- she was unable to remain conscious any longer.

She could only hope that Inuyasha had gotten away.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open... she could hear a woman down the hall, sniffling and crying. How long had she been here? Since when did this become... _ normal? _ Just  _ when _ did she become accustomed to the screams of pain and the nightly terrors of both pleasure and sadness? Of the cries from those who were just as trapped as she?

The woman whispered out into the darkness of their living spaces, begging for forgiveness. She apologizes, though, to whom it was unclear. It continues for nearly an hour before the woman finally grows quiet.

Someone else down the hall was whispering. It was too low, but the "s's" echoed from cell to cell. Deranged self-assurances were chanted, almost on repeat, but nothing substantial that could be distinctly made out. And soon enough, that, too, had gone quiet.

Kagome rolled over onto her side. Perhaps it was best to get more rest.


End file.
